Sal Stewart call-up decision might spark backlash from frustrated Reds fans

Looking for a boost heading into their upcoming series against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, there's a very real possibility that the Cincinnati Reds will call up their top prospect, Sal Stewart, before Friday's game.

The infielder has been absolutely raking down in the minor leagues this season, and his recent promotion to Triple-A hasn't slowed Stewart down one bit. He's hitting .337/.400/.674 with 12 doubles and six home runs in 23 games with the Louisville Bats.

But adding Stewart to the active roster just doesn't feel like the type of move this year's Reds team will make. Manager Terry Francona has cultivated a specific culture in the Reds clubhouse, and pushing aside one of his guys — even one who's underperforming — in favor of a rookie seems unlikely.

Sal Stewart call-up decision might spark backlash from frustrated Reds fans

Most of Stewart's minor-league experience is at third base. But Cincinnati traded for Ke'Bryan Hayes at the July 31 deadline, so the idea of Stewart playing his natural position is now out the window. Stewart would likely be an upgrade over Hayes in the batters' box, but the Reds added the Gold Glover for a reason.

Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall mentioned that Stewart would soon be getting some reps at first base, but to date, that hasn't happened. Spencer Steer has been playing elite-level defense at first this season, and Francona has no intention of sitting one of the team's highest-graded fielders.

It's easy for Reds fans to look at the stats and claim that Stewart would be an upgrade at second base. Santiago Espinal is a light-hitting, glove-first utility player, and Matt McLain has underperformed all season long. But would the Reds be willing to send Stewart out to second base in place of either player knowing he's played just 10 games at second base all season? That's doubtful.

Even the notion of slotting Stewart's bat into the lineup as the DH doesn't make sense. The newly acquired Miguel Andujar is the hottest bat in the Reds lineup at the moment, and is even having success against right-handed pitching.

None of this is to suggest that the Reds shouldn't call up Stewart, but that type of move feels very un-Reds-like at the moment. Doing so would require Cincinnati to option someone to Triple-A — with McLain or Espinal being the most likely candidates — and that's just not going to happen.

Though he could be promoted in the coming days without effecting his rookie status for 2026, calling up Stewart seems like a move the Reds will make when roster expand in September. The Reds have a good thing going at the moment, and while adding Stewart could potentially make things even better, there's no guarantee it'll work.

Francona has gotten his team this far with the 26 players who are currently in the clubhouse, and disrupting that chemistry doesn't feel like the type of move the Reds skipper would make.

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