Injury-plagued Reds prospect Rece Hinds returns to the diamond with more questions than answers

Rece Hinds was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in Round 2 of the 2019 MLB Draft and has struggled to stay healthy ever since. Hinds returned to the diamond on Monday night as part of a rehab assignment after fracturing his hamate bone earlier this season.

That same 2019 draft saw Cincinnati select Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft, both of whom made their major league debuts in 2022. Tyler Callihan (Round 3), Ivan Johnson (Round 4), and T.J. Hopkins (Round 9) were also taken in the 2019 MLB Draft.

With the exception of Callihan, every player on that list has made strides within the organization. The remainder of this season and next spring will be a crucial time for Hinds to develop and stay healthy.

Reds prospect Rece Hinds needs to prove that he can stay healthy.

Rece Hinds has two things working against him; his inability to stay on the field and his ridiculously high strikeout-rate. Hinds suffered a quad injury in 2019, missed all of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic, and a torn meniscus robbed him of all but 54 games in 2021.

In 2022, a season that saw Hinds move from third base to outfield, Hinds was hitting .240/.311/.418 with seven home runs and 19 RBIs in 53 games. But the 21-year-old had a strikeout-rate approaching 40% before landing on the IL with a wrist injury.

No one will doubt Hinds' power. Many would argue that no one in the entire organization has more raw power than Hinds. He also has a plus-arm, which is why the Reds feel that he can make the switch the outfield and possibly be defensive weapon similar to Aristides Aquino.

First things first, as Hinds has to prove that he can stay on the field. Just staying healthy over the final few weeks of the 2022 season will be key for Hinds development. Hinds can then use the offseason to improve his pitch recognition and become a better defender.

Rece Hinds does not need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. So there's still time to evaluate whether or not Hinds has a future within the Cincinnati Reds organization. Next season will amount to a make-or-break campaign for Hinds.