You might have thought the Friday night trade that brought Connor Joe to the Cincinnati Reds from the San Diego Padres was just a simple depth move. Surprise! This trade seems to be much more significant.
With Austin Hays returning but still primarily DH-ing, Spencer Steer filling in at first base (even though his shoulder isn’t fully healed), and Tyler Callihan sidelined with a broken arm, the Reds’ infield depth has been severely impacted by injuries to players like Noelvi Marte, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and Jeimer Candelario.
On top of that, prospects like Blake Dunn, Rece Hinds, Jacob Hurtubise, and Will Benson haven’t really emerged to claim regular spots in the lineup. Enter Connor Joe, who will be joining the Reds directly from Triple-A El Paso and is immediately being thrown into the starting lineup tonight, especially after Jake Fraley was placed on the injured list due to a calf issue.
Joe, who will be batting ninth and playing left field against a right-handed pitcher tonight, is typically more effective against left-handed pitchers, making this decision seem a little curious.
Hays, despite just being activated from the injured list, is out of the lineup, having only served as the DH in his return game.
One might even wonder if the Reds traded for Joe simply because he was already in Texas and could get to Houston faster than any other AAA players.
At this point, the situation feels somewhat absurd—especially for those who remember Tyler Stephenson missing all of April and Matt McLain already being sidelined earlier this year. The Reds might need to stock up on vitamins at this rate!
