Blog Red Machine

Some fans might say that 2026 has been a forgettable season for Eugenio Suárez, and they're not entirely wrong. Suárez returned to the Cincinnati Reds during the offseason on a one-year, $15 million deal, and most expected the two-time All-Star to crush 40-plus home runs upon his return to the hitter-friendly confines of Great American Ball Park. Unfortunately, Suárez has fallen well short of those (admittedly lofty) expectations and has yet to eclipse 20 homers on the year.

The Cincinnati Reds' lineup has been struggling of late. More specifically, Noelvi Marte has been struggling. The Reds outfielder is hitting just .189/.229/.321 on the season, and since being recalled in early-June, has a 24.7% strikeout rate and 54wRC+. In short, Marte has really, really struggled this season. On Tuesday, the Reds decided to send their scuffling outfielder back to the minor leagues for the second time this season.

The Cincinnati Reds are so desperate for pitching that they recently selected the contract of a player who spent the majority of this season in the independent leagues. Kent Manuel did a fine job during Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, but the left-hander was designated for assignment just before the night cap. Former Reds' fireballer Michael Lorenzen was just DFA'd by the Colorado Rockies in order to make room for another right-handed pitcher, TJ Shook.

When the Cincinnati Reds drafted Justin Lebron, they landed one of the highest-ceiling players in the draft. He also had one of the lowest floors of all the unanimous first-round prospects. Blessed with an insane power-speed combo and incredible athleticism, the question will be whether or not his hit tool develops. The former University of Alabama star has wasted no time resting on his laurels after the completion of the draft.

Rhett Lowder’s 2026 hasn’t been pretty, but over his past four starts, the Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher has seemed more like the player who turned heads as a 22-year-old rookie phenom in 2024. If Cincinnati has any hope of competing in the NL Central in 2027, they’ll need this version of Lowder. Something about the pummeling Lowder endured at the hands of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field seems to have forced the right-hander back on track.

The Cincinnati Reds made an unexpected move ahead of Monday's doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals. Zach McCambley was called up as the Reds' 27th man, but Cincinnati also designated Ron Marinaccio for assignment and selected the contract of Kent Emanuel. If you've never heard Emanuel's name, you're not alone.

I have the utmost respect for Major League players like Elly De La Cruz who suit up every single day, step onto the diamond, and give it their all. But the Cincinnati Reds superstar is in a rut, and one wonders if a day off would do him some good. The Reds are in the midst of a torrid stretch — playing 18 games over 17 days — with a day-night doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals cued up for Monday at Great American Ball Park.

Alfredo Duno is the Cincinnati Reds’ catcher of the future, but that future is further away than one would hope. The club’s No. 1 prospect pulled his right hamstring legging out an infield single in late July. With only a month remaining in the minor-league season, he could be down for the count. Regardless of the amount of time he misses, the injury should prompt the Reds to solidify their catching situation in 2027.

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry is an applicable sentiment for the Cincinnati Reds 2026 season. The team failed miserably at building a competent offense, despite that being offseason priority No.1. However, perhaps even more disappointing is the fact that the starting rotation was supposed to be a strength but has turned into a weakness. A big reason why has been injuries. The Reds were counting on injury-prone hurlers like Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo to carry them through.

Ke’Bryan Hayes flies in the face of conventional wisdom. He asks baseball fans and front offices alike, “Can elite defense make up for abysmal offense?” So far, Reds Country is probably saying, “Absolutely not.” The Reds third baseman has a -0.4 bWAR, his career worst, and he’s reached base just 35 times in 68 games entering play on August 16. In short, he’s not just bad at the plate; he’s a non-entity.