Terry Francona reversed course on Sal Stewart and Reds fans might love the result

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona was planning to give Sal Stewart the day off on Saturday, but the Cleveland Guardians flip-flopped their starting rotation. Right-hander Gavin Williams was given an extra day off, and left-handed starter Joey Cantillo toed the rubber on Saturday.

With a left-hander on the mound, Francona opted to keep Stewart in Saturday's lineup, and the Reds' rookie infielder went 0-for-2, but had a pair of walks, one of which came with the bases loaded and resulted in an RBI.

But when the opportunity for Stewart to receive an off-day came around on Sunday — with Williams on the mound for Cleveland — Francona reversed course and kept him in the starting lineup. Stewart drew the start at third base on Sunday versus the Guardians and went 2-for-3 with a walk.

It's difficult to argue with the results, but the move itself might still have Reds fans scratching their heads. Prior to this weekend's showing against the Guardians, Stewart was mired in quite a slump and could've used a day off. But having gone 2-for-5 with three walks over his last two games, one wonders if Francona will keep his budding star in the lineup for Monday's game in Philadelphia.

Did Terry Francona's threat of an off-day rejuvenate Reds' rookie Sal Stewart?

Stewart was the talk of baseball during the first month of the 2026 season. He won NL Rookie of the Month honors for March/ April, but once May arrived, he began to struggle. Through the first month of the season, Stewart hit .281/.373/.570 with nine home runs, 29 RBI, and 154 wRC+. Since the calendar flipped to May, he's hitting just .175/.268/.254 and a 43 wRC+.

Given how much Stewart's bat impacted the Reds' lineup, it's no coincidence that the club has struggled to score runs with him stuck in a slump. As a team, the Reds are hitting just .238/.313/.399 in May and are 4-14 during that span.

It'll be curious if Francona finds an opportunity to give his young rookie a day off during the upcoming series against the Philadelphia Phillies, or if perhaps just the threat of a day off was enough to jumpstart Stewart's production.

Stewart is a fiery young player, and much like Elly De La Cruz and Spencer Steer, prides himself on being in the lineup every day. Francona has a tendency to trust his players, so it's a good bet that Stewart will be back in the starting lineup on Monday against the Phillies.

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