Reds News: Alfredo Duno injury scare, Blake Dunn update, Jose Franco shut down

The Cincinnati Reds' 2026 season has been an utter disappointment in almost every way imaginable, and now it appears as if things have gotten even worse. The Reds top prospect, Alfredo Duno, exited Wednesday's minor league game against the Birmingham Barons with an apparent hamstring injury.

Duno, in an attempt to leg out an infield base hit, came up lame after safely reaching first base. He was observed grabbing at the back of his right leg before crumbling to the ground, and was eventually escorted off the field by the training staff and replaced in the lineup by backup catcher Cade Hunter.

Reds News: Top prospect Alfredo Duno exits game with injury

This is the latest in a string of injuries that have absolutely crippled the Reds as an organization this season. While Duno is arguably a year away from making his Major League debut, he's still considered to be a huge piece of Cincinnati's future plans, and the last thing anyone wants to see is a lengthy recovery from a sometimes nagging injury.

Duno had been having another phenomenal year in the minor leagues. He was recently promoted to the Reds' Double-A affiliate in Chattanooga and was hitting .288/.397/.500 with five doubles and three home runs in his first 18 games with the Lookouts. This unfortunate development is likely to land the Reds' young phenom on the injured list for at least a few weeks, if not longer.

Reds News: Blake Dunn likely headed for season-ending surgery

The injury news is equally as troubling for Reds' centerfielder Blake Dunn, who'll see a specialist in Dallas, Texas, later this week to determine whether or not surgery is required to repair his right elbow.

Dunn suffered an elbow sprain in late June and was placed on the 10-day IL. He endured a setback during rehab, however, and according to RedsTV anchor Jim Day, there's a possibility that he could undergo Tommy John surgery, which would effectively end his season.

Dunn was enjoying a breakout campaign with the Reds this season, and had supplanted TJ Friedl as the team's starting centerfielder and leadoff hitter. If the injury indeed requires surgery, Reds fans are unlikely to see Dunn back in action until sometime during the latter part of the 2027 season.

Amid all the troubling injury news was a positive tidbit as it relates to right-handed pitcher Jose Franco who exited Tuesday's doubleheader with an elbow injury. He seems to have avoided the worst-case scenario, suffering a flexor mass injury rather than a UCL tear, but will be shut down from throwing for at least two weeks.

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