Reds center fielder TJ Friedl was pulled from yesterday’s game with what the club initially termed a right wrist sprain, as noted by Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Since then, however, the club provided a far more dire update regarding Friedl’s status: the 28-year-old’s new diagnosis is a right wrist fracture that will keep him off the club’s Opening Day roster as he figures to miss an “extended period.” Per Wittenmyer, Friedl indicated to reporters this evening that he’ll have to wait for the bone to heal before he can resume baseball activities. While no timetable for Friedl’s return was specified, he expressed optimism that he play for the Reds at some point this year. He’ll be re-evaluated in three to four weeks to determine next steps in his rehab process.
The news is a major blow to the club’s chances in a competitive NL Central division this season. The 28-year-old was one of the club’s most reliable all-around contributors last year with a .279/.352/467 slash line in 138 games to go along with 27 stolen bases and strong defense in center field. That strong performance left Friedl in position to be one of the most crucial pieces in the club’s positional mix this season, particularly given the club’s relative lack of outfield depth in comparison to their famously deep infield mix. In Friedl’s absence, the club will likely turn to the likes of Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild in center field to open the season. That would open up playing time on the infield corners for the likes of Spencer Steer, Jake Fraley, and Jonathan India. Nick Martini and Bubba Thompson are among the club’s depth options in the outfield currently on the 40-man roster.
Between the loss of Friedl to injury and third baseman Noelvi Marte’s 80-game suspension following a positive test for the performance enhancing substance Boldenone, the Reds figure to enter the season with substantially less depth on the positional side than expected entering the season. That will mean additional opportunities- and additional pressure- for the club’s bevy of young infielders, which includes the likes of Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, each of whom appear likely to get everyday at-bats alongside the likes of Jeimer Candelario, India, and Steer in the club’s infield mix while Friedl and Marte are unavailable. The club also has a handful of non-roster options who could provide additional infield depth coming off the bench, such as Tony Kemp and Josh Harrison.
While those internal options all figure to be under consideration for the Reds, Wittenmyer indicated that president of baseball operations Nick Krall didn’t rule out looking outside of the organization for additional help on the positional side in light of Friedl’s injury. The Reds made clear how much they valued their position player depth this winter when they not only decided against trading Jonathan India despite him being seemingly squeezed out of the club’s everyday lineup, but doubled down on that decision by adding Candelario to the infield mix on a three-year deal. Those decisions have already paid off in a big way for the club by softening the blow of losing Marte and Friedl before the 2024 season has even begun, and it would be understandable if Krall was interested in finding ways to further bolster the club’s depth.
With that being said, the Pirates’ recent deal with veteran outfielder Michael A. Taylor took the last surefire center fielder off the free agent market last week, meaning the Reds would likely be forced to look to the trade market if they hope to improve their current outfield mix. It would be a surprise to see Cincinnati swing a major move for another bat, though it’s certainly possible the club could look to add a veteran currently in camp with another club on a non-roster deal who isn’t rostered by his current organization, either by way of a minor trade before Spring Training comes to a close or perhaps simply by waiting for them to trigger an opt-out clause and return to the open market. Oscar Mercado, Tim Locastro, Brett Phillips, Rafael Ortega, Trayce Thompson, and Albert Almora are among the many veteran center fielders currently in camp with other clubs on minor league deals who could be speculative fits for a bench role with the Reds should they be made available.
Here we go, the one position we’re thin at. Benson and Fairchild has to cover CF now.
Both have proved in the past they couldn’t play center field.
Again, the front office didn’t get the right handed hitting outfielder they needed, and now this young team will pay for it.
Fairchild sucks
Comments in his spring numbers will be met with the memory of actual season play and a scoff
Could call the guardians for myles straw and work out a trade.
Both teams work out at same complex.
Bieber back in Trade to.
Guardians front office will ask for controllable power right hand sticks that play outfieder or play multiple positions. May hold on to bieber to get draft pick after end of season.
Is Fraley not passable in center? I remember seeing him play for Rainiers. Seemed like a decent CF back then before getting called up. I haven’t really seen him play since then and it doesn’t look like Reds have given him much playing time in CF. Just curious what Reds fans think of that or any fan that has knowledge of his defensive capabilities.
Well, by the numbers (SSS caveats apply) he’s … Schwarber-esque out there.
There’s a reason they don’t let him play CF any more.
Isn’t Bubba Thompson on the Reds? He’s certainly fast enough to play center.
Not good.
He’s a bit of a late bloomer but he had a really nice season last year for the Reds.
This is why ST needs to be shortened & all the other crap needs to be done away with (spring break out, winter ball, arizona fall league, wbc)
If its not a game that counts , players shouldnt be involved
These guys aren’t video game characters. They can’t just show up to game one of the season and start playing. If you think the injuries are bad now, your idea would have the entire league on the IL by the end of week one.
Young guys need things like winter ball/fall league for development. The best way to improve at baseball is to play. They need all the reps they can get, especially early in their career.
Prospects play 6 months of minor league ball.
It aint like they chilling in their backyard drinking beer the rest of the time. They are training and working out and keeping their bodies in shape.
How many injuries have happened in meaningless games?? Edwin diaz for f sake!
It’s not about physical fitness. It’s about reps. It’s about seeing that ball come into the plate over and over. It’s about throwing a pitch over and over to a real batter.
Neither a pitching machine nor a gym is the same as live baseball for player development
World Baseball Classic and things of that ilk should come after the season or not at all, but the development leagues are needed.
So many things wrong with this. Pitchers have said over and over again that they need ST to ramp up. Replace each odd position player injury with five additional pitcher injuries and that’s what a shortened ST would give you.
The WBC was also not “meaningless games.” The MLB is not the only league in existence. The latest WBC pulled in 1.3 million people and put on one hell of a show, they need more international exposure. Not less.
Ya know what i give up.
Have as many f’in leagues as ya’ll want.
Personally i’m sick of players going down with injuries during games that dont count
Guess you guys are ok with it so that players get their “reps” in
Throwing a pitch over & over is why so many guys need TJ & related surgeries to fix injuries. Cant play ball 24/7/365!!!
This is such a jaded, disheartening take about baseball and I hope I never become the type of fan that could actually become this disillusioned about the sport or about people from the rest of the world.
The WBC was incredible and baseball players should absolutely be given the chance to compete for their country like almost every other sport out there. Manfred is a bad commissioner, but that has nothing to do with the WBC or how meaningful the games are and will continue to be.
if players should absolutely be given the chance to compete for their country then why doesnt mlb pause for 2 weeks in august every 4 years so players can participate in the olympics? that would be much more interesting than wbc. ill tell you why. because they’d rather have the wbc in march to pull in fans who normally wouldnt watch baseball bec there are no official games until april, and bec the wbc will get fans from hong kong or honduras or wherever the f the games are held. but mostly its bec baseball never wants to pause the season bec fans will lose interest. and then if you push the season as a result into october/november you’ll get zero fans bec everyone will be more interested in nfl or nba. why did mlb go from 8 teams a 100 years ago to 30? why did they expand the schedule to 162 games? there was a time when it was the world series and thats it. now there’s the lcs, the division series, the wild card, and half the league gets into the “playoffs”. you think anyone cares about improving the sport?? its all about ratings. its all about $. its all about revenue. greedy commishes, greedy owners. its all BS. no offense to anyone, but you’re all a bunch of naive suckers
I don’t really see why MLB needs more exposure. These places have their own leagues. The fact that the players in US are paid so much speaks to the success of the league. At same time is it really best for foreign leagues to have their best players sweeped up for millions by MLB teams? MLB could have an interest in making sure these other leagues are never the “premiere” league. If so, having fans in Japan watching MLB games could ensure that by taking their attention off their own home teams at times and getting then invested in MLB where many of their favorite players are, and stripping the talent pool. Why does MLB have to be any bigger than it is financially? IDC if they were 1/10th of what they are now. In many ways baseball was better in the early days of local teams formed from scrappy everyday workers playing baseball when they can. They still exist but aren’t valued. Kids growing up feel failed because they don’t make it as professionals. The high status of MLB is why. There is such centralization economically. If there were 5 leagues all with 1/5 the resources of MLB (MLB included) it would be better arguably. There would be competition leading to creativity in rules, etc. Things like wrestling are very popular in several renditions. College football competes with NFL on some level. Why is MLB this can’t fail megalith? All devils advocate. Idk what I think except on some level it’s best for these foreign leagues to keep their players and build their league to offer higher salaries. There is never going to be a world baseball league anyway. If so I’d be for much of this stuff but it isn’t possible travel or business wise
And those new fans, international exposure, etc. are almost as important to the sport as the meaningful games are!
MLB can’t shut down for 2 weeks for the Olympics while most of the players don’t play like the NHL does, simply because the hitters will lose their timing, and the pitchers would need to build themselves up again. It’s why we have rehab assignments for injured players before they return to play meaningful MLB games again.
The continued expansion of MLB over the decades has been a wonderful thing for the sport and for many reasons beyond just pure money.
12 playoff teams out 30 might be a little too many, but it’s still a more selective field than the other 3 major sports in North America, and 12 playoffs teams without that ridiculous Wild Card play-in game is still better than 10 playoff teams with that Wild Card Game.
Tell us your dumb ah has never played without actually telling us.
Stfu you moron
How much money did they make to support their family playing the wbc? If they win the grand prize they walk away with 50,000. Would you risk millions to do that?
“And those new fans, international exposure, etc. are almost as important to the sport as the meaningful games are!”
Huh??
You need blood pressure medicine, girlfriend.
@Canuckleball In fact the best way to improve at baseball is through controlled specific practice.
A LFer will see a couple of balls per game, most of them fairly routine, whereas three hours of practice can see him field well over 100 balls geared to what he finds most difficult.
Better to say, it depends entirely on what a player needs to improve.
An OFer getting a jump on balls, a hitter who needs to hit breaking stuff (and will see a half dozen such pitches in the zone, maybe, during a 3 hour game, but can see 300 such pitches in practice), a 3Bman who has to learn to go to his right, a 2Bman who needs work on the DP….
A pitcher, on the other hand, probably benefits more from an actual game in many cases, since he’ll throw a similar number of pitches as in practice, but for blood.
A player can’t do both?
practice is different then an actual game. If a player only plays when the games matter, he’d be far less likely to actually perform under pressure. Real games feel different and can’t be replicated
You think acuna feels pressure in ST? The only players ST is beneficial for are young guys trying to earn a spot on the tm. Anybody with a spot secured should go work out in the training room or field balls with coaches, etc. any game action puts them at risk of injury
Neither can the intensity of constant repetition and feedback be replicated.
And any team depending on ST to decide on a young guy they’ve had in their system for a few years is just punting on their responsibility.
It’s up to a GM and manager to know who has the best chance to succeed, and how long the org is willing to tolerate growing pains, not let 80 ST PA’s against AA levels of competition make that decision for them.
In nearly every case the team has made up its mind in February and the only function of ST in that regard is for a guy to play himself OFF the 26 man roster through bad habits, indifference, inattention, and so on.
While I agree with you there is something to be said for players that seize the opportunity. It potentially tells you something. Many players fail over and over when promoted because they just can’t seem to do so. In ST it’s flukish tho no doubt because anyone can get hot at anytime in baseball. Kelenic likely just played his way into a platoon in spring. So I can’t entirely agree with your comment either. Not universally at least.
Spring Training may be a little long for position players, but it is necessary for it to be as long as it is in order for the pitchers to get in shape.
Lmao this is why you’re on the Internet and nowhere near MLB or an mlb organization.
You’re an idiot and you need to learn athletes get hurt. Has nothing to do with how long spring training is.
Tough loss for the Reds. This is a setback temporarily. Benson could play CF, but not as well.
Hopefully, Friedl can return sooner rather than later, but it doesn’t sound like a short-term injury.
Best of luck in a faster recovery!
No love for Jacob Hurtubise?
This is the guy I could see quietly stepping in for Friedl and doing a surprisingly adequate job of replacing at least his offensive production.
There was an old joke a long time ago about a player who didn’t have time to field a position because he was always on base, though who it was escapes me now.. but it could apply to Hurtubise, I say give him a crack
Blake Dunn as well.
Add rece hinds to that list
He injured himself by diving for a ball. I wish these players try to avoid these types of plays for spring training games.
It’d be nice, sure, but these guys got where they are by giving their all. If they could turn it on and off and did so, they might not be the kind of personality that makes the majors.
Avoiding injury is a skill on its own. I hate that these guys injure themselves in meaningless games.
Saw the game.
A couple of innings earlier, Freidl dropped a flyball allowing two runs to score. He was amped up and animated after that, possibly leading to his diving catch…
Phillies will give you a lightly used Jake Cave.
I can’t understand why he’s still on their roster.
Everyone is hurt. Yippee…
The lineup produced the best last season with India leading off and Friedl batting second. Now Friedl is hurt and Bell has India hitting sixth for some reason and relegated to a part time player. Candelario can’t even hit a buck in spring training under Bell’s platòon system. McLain has to get his timing back because he hasn’t played much. Their vaunted young pitching staff that some people claim did not need veteran help and Montas have been knocked around.
This is not looking good at all. The question is whether the front office reacts or continues their history of sitting on their hands.
I can’t believe you hold so much stock in spring numbers. thought you knew better.
Hold so much stock, no. Looking at trends against not quite big league competition, yes.
You are so damn stupid lmao
who is? be more specific with this bunch
Would be awfully sensible to see what a regular 9 day in and day out would do especially with India leading off. The rest of the lineup isnt my call, id just be happy w consistency. This group had yet to have consistent spots in the lineup or regular position. No pitcher has went into the 5th yet this spring, while most teams around the league have had at least one pitcher go through the 5th. Greene hasn’t went into the 4th inning yet. The Bell fans think we just make this stuff up.
Could’ve used Michael A Taylor.
@Buzzz Killington True, that. Pretty sure every team in 2024 can use Michael A. Taylor for 1/$4m. He’d be the best 5th OFer in MLB, for one thing.
I’m pleasantly surprised Cherington finally got this deal done – $4 million for MAT is a steal plus it keeps him away from the competition.
I think Billy Hamilton is available
Ham’s been replacement level since… 2019. That actually has value.
Sure he’s hit .205/.263/.288/.550 in that stretch, but his defense has been pretty good. Probably a dozen teams can use him versus the 8th OFers they’ll throw out there in August.
The only problem with that hitting line is he’s only gotten more than 40 PAs in a year one time in the last four seasons and had a 66 OPS+ when he did. As a part time defensive replacement, sure you could make him work. But even as a fourth OF he’s just too lost at the plate.
This sucks but is not the end of the world for the Reds. They are very deep on OF options even without Friedl, and this may give another young potential breakout guy like Blake Dunn or Rece Hinds an earlier opportunity than originally considered.
Tommy Pham….”The Bridge Burner”
Giants should deal the Reds either Yaz or Slater to make room for Matos.
Conforto is in his last season @ SF.
If he plays well expect him traded at the deadline. Then Matos will be up, unless injuries come sooner than that.
I’d trade Slater to the Reds for a pitching prospect and promote Matos to the opening day lineup. They’re logical trade partners today.
Don’t the Reds have someone in MiLB ready in CF?
Blake Dunn and Jacob Hurtubise
I remember early in the off-season alot of talk about them dealing for a young, controllable outfielder with some pop that’s ML ready. Now is the time to find that guy and make a deal. It’s gonna sting, no doubt, but they have the system to make that happen. TJ was a HUGE part of this team’s success last season and picking up one of these veteran .220 hitting scrubs isn’t gonna cut it. Do the right thing here Nick.
It seemed like the off season talk was about adding a RH hitting OFr with pop, and that was presumably a corner OFr (as they’re aren’t a lot of CFrs with pop).
Why add a young controllable CFr at a substantial cost when Friedl will only seemingly miss two months of the season?
What would you do with that guy once TJ returns?
I get trading for a quality OFr if Friedl is expected to be out for the season or longer, but this is just a broken bone.
This is why cutting Berrero a couple weeks ago made no sense. The 2 guys he was going to back up got hurt immediately. Rather or not you liked him, there was no reason to release him when they did. More proof they do not know what they are doing and never have rhyme or reason for anything.
They released him to sign Justin Wilson
I know he hasn’t played the position much in recent years, but maybe they could sign Tommy Pham could fill in for CF until Freidl gets back?
Pham signed with the Padres. They should trade a pitching prospect to the pitching starved Giants for either Slater or Yaz.
Fraley has this
It looks like Adam Duvall had similar injury with the Red Sox and came back strong about 2 months later?