Reds emerging star Noelvi Marte has comeback foiled by untimely injury

Reemerging young Reds star Noelvi Marte being scratched from the Reds' lineup on Tuesday with left side pain immediately set off alarms for fans. He doesn't have an extensive history of injury, but Marte has just found a groove and he's been one of the Reds' most productive bats over his last 15 games. And, with Jeimer Candelario and Christian Encarnacion-Strand already on the IL, the Reds really couldn't afford to lose another infielder.

But they delivered the bad news on Wednesday ahead of their third game out of four against the Braves: Marte's going to the 10-day IL with an oblique strain (retroactive to May 5), and fan favorite outfielder Rece Hinds is coming back up for his season debut to take his place on the active roster.

Ten days feels generous, given that oblique strains can be nebulous and vary wildly in severity, which the Reds have yet to reveal. It's a significant blow for Marte, who was just starting to look like the prospect that was promised (though his performance has dipped over his last seven games).

Reds move Noelvi Marte to injured list as hot start to 2025 is halted

It's at least some consolation that Hinds, last year's No. 16 prospect, will get a run at the majors in the meantime. He was explosive in his 24-game stint in 2024, logging a 1.050 OPS and five homers, but started the season in Triple-A after a more underwhelming spring training. This year, he's batting .281 with a .897 OPS through 33 games at Louisville.

However, the Reds' infield situation looks even stranger without Marte. On Tuesday, after he was scratched, Cincinnati employed three catchers in their lineup. Jose Trevino got the actual job behind the plate, while Tyler Stephenson DH'ed and Austin Wynns was shifted over to first base (despite only having logged a single major league inning there, all the way back in 2021). Stephenson has even less experience at first.

The Reds are ostensibly down to three infielders — Elly de la Cruz, Santiago Espinal, and Matt McLain — so it looks like one of their three (three!) catchers will be forced to play out of position alongside Spencer Steer while the Reds wait to get healthy.