Can Cincinnati Reds prospect Brian Rey bounce back after unfortunate absence?

Cincinnati Reds prospect Brian Rey is back. The 24-year-old was suspended for 80 games earlier this season after testing positive for a banned substance under the minor league drug program.

Rey was one of the Reds fast-rising prospects last season, and there was a chance, if his stellar continued, that he could have made his major league debut this season. Unfortunately the suspension took that opportunity away and Rey will have to prove himself all over again.

Rey made his season debut for Double-A Chattanooga last night. The former 13th-round pick was batting eighth and playing left field. Rey went 2-for-3 in the game and scored a run in the Lookouts' 8-7 loss against the rocket City Trash Pandas.

Reds prospect Brian Rey has a difficult task ahead of him.

Brian Rey made the jump through three different levels of the minor leagues in 2021 and hit .289/.368/.425 along the way. Rey's high on-base percentage and low strikeout-rate (15.1%) revealed a keen eye a the plate.

Rey had a fantastic showing in the Puerto Rican Winter League last December. Rey hit .362/.455/.426 in 14 games and looked like he might even receive an invite to major league spring training. Instead, Rey was part of a large group of players who were on the Reds minor league spring training roster.

Brian Rey will remind a lot of Reds fans of Alejo Lopez. Rey is contact hitter who puts the ball in play. He's not really known for his power, though he can muscle one over the fence from time to time. Rey is a capable defender who's versatility allows him to play the infield and the outfield.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez overcame a suspension in 2020 and earned himself a spot in the starting rotation last season. Perhaps Rey can follow a similar path and make his major league dreams come true.