Reds confidence in JJ Bleday is growing and Terry Francona hints at lineup change

JJ Bleday had quite the debut over the weekend after being called up by the Cincinnati Reds to replace injured slugger Eugenio Suárez. Bleday joined the team on Saturday and was in the starting lineup for Sunday's series' finale against the Detroit Tigers. He went 1-for-1 with a home run and a walk and made quite the first impression on Reds manager Terry Francona.

"We feel like he could help us," Francona said after the Reds' loss on Sunday. "We just didn’t want him to have that last bench spot when we started the year because we wanted him to play.”

Those comments would seem to suggest that Bleday will have a regular spot in the Reds lineup — especially against right-handed pitching. He has a career .717 OPS with a 104 wRC+ against righties. Against left-handers, those numbers drop to a .660 OPS with an 84 wRC+.

JJ Bleday may usurp Will Benson in the Reds outfield

With Bleday's left-handed swing and success against right-handed pitching, Reds fans should expect to see Will Benson spending more time on the bench over the next few weeks. He was already trending in the direction, but Bleday's promotion makes Benson's presence on the roster rather superfluous. In 22 games this season, he's hitting just .162/.311/.243 with a 56 wRC+.

TJ Friedl has shown a resurgence of late, and Francona has shown no hesitation deploying Spencer Steer to either corner outfield spot. Dane Myers has become a fixture against left-handed pitching, and the team has continued to give Rece Hinds numerous opportunities despite some early-season struggles.

All of those signs point to Benson's role being severely reduced moving forward — something that was assumed after the Reds signed Bleday during the offseason. If Benson fails to find his footing, it's a good bet that he'll be the one sent back to the minor leagues once Suárez is able to return from the injured list.

Regular playing time could be difficult to come by for Benson with Bleday on the active roster. The same thing could've been said about Nathaniel Lowe, however, and Suárez's injury has thrust him into the heart of the Reds lineup. Benson must be patient and make the most of his limited opportunities when they come around.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow