Alejo Lopez has his work cut out in order to rejoin the Reds 40-man roster

There's good news for fans of Alejo Lopez. The infielder cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A. In other words, Lopez will be with the Cincinnati Reds during spring training.

But with the news of Lopez's return comes a lot of questions. It was doubtful that Lopez was going to be part of the Reds Opening Day roster. Now the 26-year-old has an even greater task in front of him.

No longer part of the Reds 40-man roster, Lopez must displace someone currently occupying one of those spots. That's a tall task, especially with how Cincinnati's roster is constructed.

Alejo Lopez has his work cut out in order to rejoin the Reds 40-man roster.

Alejo Lopez caught the eye of the Cincinnati faithful after his terrific performance in the minor leagues during the 2021 season. Lopez hit .320/.401/.447 while splitting time between Double-A Chattanooga ans Triple-A Louisville.

Lopez earned a call-up to the bigs and joined the Cincinnati Reds for a handful of games in 2021. Last season, Lopez played in over 60 games and slashed .262/.314/.331. He was then designated for assignment last week after the Reds acquired outfielder Will Benson in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians.

The acquisition of Benson should give the fanbase some insight as to why they let Lopez go in the first place. Benson is a tremendous athlete with next-level power. Lopez, while he offers some defensive flexibility, is generally a slap hitter who's best attribute is putting the ball in play.

Now, 20 years ago, Lopez's on-base skills may have been much more coveted. But in a day when exit velocity and slugging percentage are all the rage, Lopez will continue to play second-fiddle to those who can take the opposing pitcher deep.

Alejo Lopez will be given a chance. But he'll be a battle with the likes of Chad Pinder, Jason Vosler, and Matt Reynolds - all of whom will be looking to shed the title of non-roster invitee and earn a spot on the Cincinnati Reds 40-man roster.