This unfortunate injury could mark the start of Will Benson’s Reds takeover

When Jake Fraley hit the injured list with a partially torn labrum, Will Benson quickly became one of the Cincinnati Reds everyday outfielders — at least against right-handed pitching. The former first-round pick had been sharing playing time of late with Fraley, Rece Hinds, Gavin Lux, and Spencer Steer. But Fraley's placement on the IL made one thing clear — Benson was going to get plenty of opportunities.

Benson wasted little time showing Reds manager Terry Francona that he could be counted on in the clutch. He brought the winning run home with a ninth-inning single up the right field line on Sunday against the San Diego Padres and was mobbed by his teammates as he rounded first base.

Benson has been heating up of late, and while some of the standard numbers don't necessarily bear it out, the outfielder has been on quite the tear. Benson consistently been making hard contact, and he finaly broke through with a big-time hit in the ninth inning on Sunday at Great American Ball Park.

Jake Fraley's injury could mark the start of Will Benson’s Reds takeover

But while Benson has a chance to thrive, questions will soon emerge as to the future of Fraley with the Reds organization. After coming to Cincinnati by way of a trade with the Seattle Mariners in 2022, Fraley has established himself as a fine outfield defender with a good eye at the plate and enough pop from the left side to be a threat to right-handed pitchers. His splits, however, make Fraley a bit more of a platoon bat, and this latest setback raises questions about his role moving forward.

Fraley has one more year of team control remaining beyond 2025, meaning he'll be a free agent after next season. Given the redundancy of having both Fraley and Benson on the same team, there were already questions about whether or not this would be the Pennsylvania native's finale year in a Reds uniform.

Fraley is said to be avoiding surgery for his injured shoulder and recently received a cortisone shot to help him play through the pain. He endured a similar type of injury in 2024 when he attempted to play through a right knee sprain. It was apparent that Fraley was hobbled, and though it was an incredibly noble and gutsy move on his part, he just wasn't the same player.

Fraley is hopeful to return to the Reds active roster in short order, but he'll need the cortisone shot to do its job. In the meantime, Benson will be receiving more reps in right field when a right-hander is on the bump. With left-hander Garrett Crochet taking the ball for the Boston Red Sox tonight, Benson is out of the Reds starting lineup.

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