Reds News: Jeimer Candelario rehab, trade bust signs with Royals, Eugenio Suárez

Jeimer Candelario was a marked man earlier this season. The Cincinnati Reds' biggest free agent acquisition during the 2023-24 offseason got off to a horrible start this season and had many fans calling for him to be released.

Instead, a back injury pushed Candelario to the IL and he's been out of the Reds lineup since the end of April. Seeing how bad Cincinnati's offense has been since his departure, perhaps some Reds fans wish that Candelario was back on the roster.

Based on recent events, he could be back soon. Candelario was rehabbing at the team's training complex in Goodyear, but on Thursday, the Reds shifted his rehab assignment to Triple-A Louisville. Candelario was in the Louisville Bats' lineup on Thursday night against the Norfolk Tide and went 1-for-4 with an RBI double.

Jeimer Candelario could soon return to the Reds lineup, but Eugenio Suárez will be back at GABP this weekend

Candelario likely needs another week with the Louisville Bats before the team decides to activate him from the IL. Cincinnati also has Christian Encarnacion-Strand rehabbing in the Derby City, and outfielder Austin Hays could return from the IL as soon as this weekend.

While Reds fans are eager to see all three players return from the injured list, chances are good that they'll be just as excited to see Eugenio Suárez return to Great American Ball Park on Friday night. Suárez is the starting third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and will make his second trip back home to GABP after being traded prior to the 2022 season.

Suárez was a fan-favorite in Cincinnati and his 2019 campaign was one of the most memorable in recent memory. Suárez hit .271/.358/.572 that season with 49 home runs and 103 RBI. Geno's 48th homer that season moved him pass Andres Galarraga, setting the single-season home run mark for Venezuelan-born players.

Suárez is having another power-packed season, hitting .232/.311/.504 with 16 home runs and 46 RBI for the D-backs. Suárez is in the final year of the six-year contract that he signed with the Reds and will be a free agent after this season.

Former Reds trade bust Justin Dunn signs with KC Royals

Another former Reds player is on his way to Kansas City. Justin Dunn, one of the players Cincinnati received from Seattle in the trade that sent Suárez to the Mariners' organization, signed a minor-league deal with the Kansas City Royals.

Dunn hasn't pitched in the big leagues since his 2022 stint with the Reds. The former first-round draft pick has been plagued by injuries, and during his lone major-league season with the Reds made just seven appearances and posted a 6.10 ERA.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but at this point, that trade doesn't look good for either side. Suárez only played two seasons in Seattle before being traded to the D-backs, and Jesse Winker had the worst year of his career in the Emerald City before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023.

As for the Reds, Dunn is gone, Jake Fraley is a marginal platoon player, Brandon Williamson is recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Connor Phillips can't command the strike zone. Some trades are win-win, but this one looks like a lose-lose.

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