Reds must resist a familiar mistake now that Rece Hinds is finally up

The Cincinnati Reds optioned Noelvi Marte back to the minor leagues following Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Angels, and on Tuesday recalled Rece Hinds. Cincinnati's lineup is in need of a boost, and given Hinds' recent track record, there's hope that he'll provide some punch to the middle of the Reds' batting order. In order to do so, he'll need to be in the starting lineup almost every day.

Hinds is no stranger to the major leagues. He made his big-league debut in July of 2024 and set the city of Cincinnati on fire with his prodigous power and tape-measure home runs. In his first six games, Hinds was 11-for-22 with nine extra-base hits, including five home runs, 11 RBI, and a 1.951 OPS. Hinds then went 1-for-16 over his next four games and was optioned back to Triple-A.

When Hinds reappeared on the active roster in late-August, he was little more than a pinch-hitter and/or late-game replacement. During his final 14 games of the 2024 season, he didn't record a single start and failed to record a hit in 11 plate appearances.

Hinds got a quick look in May of last year, going 3-for-9 in seven games while posting a .726 OPS. He then received another call-up in late-June, played in seven games, struck out 10 times, and was optioned back to the minors for the remainder of the season. The Reds cannot afford to do that to Hinds again.

Rece Hinds must be in the Reds lineup (almost) every day

The Reds made a bold move sending Marte back to Triple-A in favor of Hinds, but something just wasn't clicking for the former Seattle Mariners farmhand. Marte was just 4-for-29 with a 32.3% strikeout rate, and his lack of plate discipline was obvious to everyone. Will Benson's early-season performance hasn't been much better, and it's all the more reason for Reds manager Terry Francona to sink or swim with Hinds as the team's everyday right fielder.

Every Major Leaguer will tell you that consistent playing time is the key to performance, but the Reds have had a revolving door in the outfield for what feels like forever. Tyler Naquin, Scott Schebler, Nick Senzel, Phillips Ervin, and many others were all given a chance to shine, but those players were constantly yo-yo'd in and out of the lineup based on the pitching matchups.

Quite frankly, that's what made Marte such poor platoon partner alongside Benson. Neither Marte nor Benson have historically performed well against left-handed pitching, so when the opposing manager sent a southpaw out to the mound, Francona was forced to deploy Spencer Steer as the Reds' right fielder. Steer is a versatile defender, but that doesn't mean he excels at every position.

Hinds, much like Marte, actually had reverse splits in the minor leagues last season. He hit .292/.343/.571 against right-handed pitching, while posting a .262/.326/.443 slash line against lefties. But as you can see, Hinds' .769 OPS doesn't make him unplayable against left-handers.

In short, if Hinds is being called up, he needs to play, and play consistently. Benson has received numerous chances to prove himself throughout his time with the Reds, and it's time for Cincinnati to see what they've got in Hinds.

If Hinds is hitting .131 with a .476 OPS and a 35% strikeout rate after 100 at-bats, then the Reds will have their answer and can rework the roster accordingly. But if he's given consistent playing time over the next month, Nick Krall may finally see that monster label manifested in Hinds.

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