Reds may have just tipped their hand on Sal Stewart call-up with sneaky roster move

September call-ups are just around the corner, and the Cincinnati Reds signaled that Sal Stewart is on his way to the big leagues. On Sunday evening, MLB insider Jon Morosi reported that the move is all but official.

The Reds outrighted Connor Joe, meaning that Cincinnati now has an extra spot on the 40-man roster for Stewart. Joe has been at Triple-A since August 2 and is hitting .177/.301/.258 in minor league 20 games.

Rosters officially expand from 26 to 28 players on September 1, but in order to be part of the active roster, one must first be part of the 40-man roster — which Stewart is not.

This is typically the time of year when organizations give some of their top prospects a taste of the big leagues. Reds fans have been begging for the front office to call up Stewart for weeks now, and it appears that they might finally get their wish.

Reds just outrighted Connor Joe, signaling that Sal Stewart could be in line for a September call-up

If the Reds don't make the move official before 11:59 p.m. ET, Stewart will be ineligible for the playoff roster if Cincinnati is fortunate enough to get into the postseason. After their win against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, the Reds clawed back to within 4 games of the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card chase.

Stewart has been mashing at Triple-A Louisville since his arrival last month. He's played in 38 games with the Louisville Bats and is hitting .315/.394/.629 with 15 doubles and 10 home runs heading into play on Sunday.

Many fans will be curious where Stewart plays defensively if he's called up, especially after Matt McLain has suddenly turned a corner. It seemed like a forgone conclusion a week ago that Stewart would take over at second base, but McLain has recorded back-to-back games with a home run and has looked much more comfortable at the dish.

Stewart has plenty of experience at third base, has collected a couple starts of first, and could always be used as the team's designated hitter. Regardless of his role defensively, Stewart's bat should be in the Reds lineup for every game during the final month of the season.

Will the Reds finally make the move? It seems likely, and outrighting Joe off the 40-man roster is a good sign.

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