These underutilized Reds players could get a fresh start with new manager

One of the challenges that faced recently departed Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell this season was the absolute chaos in the outfield. Sixteen different players jogged out to the outfield grass in 2024 thanks to injuries, slumps, and trades. Among those players were Rece Hinds and Blake Dunn, whose experience in the majors this year wildly diverged, but who may be among the players most benefited by a regime change.

Hinds exploded on the scene, smashing five homers in his first six games and garnering NL Player of the Week honors. He then fell into a slump, as he is wont to do, and returned to Triple-A. Here’s where the managerial change might come in.

Rece Hinds and Blake Dunn may break through the crowded Reds outfield under a new manager

Hinds’s slump seems to be rooted in two weaknesses that can be addressed with savvy management. First, the slugger hasn’t been able to hit lefties at the Major League level. His worst games during his July tryout came against southpaws, and his slump started in earnest when he faced former All-Stars Trevor Rogers and Patrick Corbin on either side of the All-Star break. Hinds has a .111 batting average against lefties and has yet to turn a left-handed fastball into a hit.

Secondly, Hinds struggles mightily when coming off the bench. When he returned to the majors in late August, Bell used him primarily as a pinch runner, pinch hitter, or late-game replacement. He has been hitless in this second big-league stint.

If the Reds’ new manager, whoever he may be, recognizes these tendencies, Hinds could be in for a bounce-back year. He could, for example, platoon with another player more comfortable with lefties, and he could be given a more regular opportunity to play. These adjustments may help Hinds find a more consistent form in the majors.

Dunn could be one such platoon-mate for Hinds. His Major League experience, which consisted of 17 games scattered over three call-ups, did not go according to plan. Dunn mostly came off the bench and spent most of the time with a sub-.100 batting average. Still, he hits lefties better than Hinds. This was most evident last season when he posted a .359/.507/.709 against left-handers in Double-A. That success translated to the majors to some extent as his batting average and slugging percentage (while still abysmal) are significantly better against lefties.

Dunn, like Hinds, suffered from Bell’s tendency to use his bench. Both outfielders possess elite speed, and the former Reds manager utilized pinch runners more often than league average. These choices don’t seem to have paid off in either the short or long term. The Reds were 5-5 in games when either of the pair pinch ran or hit, and both players seem to have struggled to adjust to the inconsistent playing time.

A new manager, though, could shake up the Reds’ strategy and help Hinds and Dunn achieve the potential that landed them among the club’s top prospects.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors