The Reds highlight lineup depth, tough decisions in 15-run performance vs. the Athletics
GOODYEAR, Ariz. –– On Monday against the Oakland Athletics, the Cincinnati Reds trotted out a starting lineup with nine of their expected 11 regulars. Even though Matt McLain and Jonathan India were out due to injuries, the lineup was still really deep.
The seventh, eighth and ninth hitters were Will Benson, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Noelvi Marte. For a lot of teams, those would be middle of the order bats.The Reds’ starting position players were in the game for five innings on Monday, and they scored 15 runs.
"It was fun to get most of the guys out there together," Reds manager David Bell said. "That'll happen more often now. I love the way we play. Staying within ourselves, getting on base any way we can, plate discipline, base running. We know that's a strength. We have to get on base first. I like how we're playing."
The Reds don’t plan on having a set lineup this year to make sure that all 11 of their potential every day players get regular at-bats. The coaching staff and front office are going through discussions on the best ways to set their lineup up this year, and a common theme in those conversations is how tough these decisions will be.
The Reds’ depth, talent and balance of left and right-handed hitters give the team over a dozen of potential impact lineup combinations to work with.
Matt McLain keeps ramping up
The Cincinnati Reds were cautions with second baseman Matt McLain after he aggravated his oblique early in spring training, and now he’s fully getting back in the mix.
McLain is expected to work with the team during Monday’s workout after working on his own for the last two weeks due to the oblique injury. Reds manager David Bell said that “hopefully he’s in a (spring training) game this week.”
McLain aggravated his oblique early in camp by swinging too much. He’s back taking swings, and he’s expected to face live pitching for the first time on Wednesday. Once he checks that box, the expectation is that McLain will get right back into the mix with plenty of time to be ready for Opening Day.
TJ Friedl keeps setting the table
For the first time in his career, Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl isn’t competing for a spot on the big league roster. While the 2024 Reds plan to rotate 11 players through nine positions and mix-and-match their lineups, the plan is for Friedl to be the constant as an every day player in center field.
On Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, Friedl had a three-hit game, including a double against a left-handed pitcher.
“He swung the bat well today,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He showed that all last year. We know the kind of player he is. He’s getting more and more in the flow of the game as we get into the middle of spring training.”
Last year, Friedl hit .279 and was one of the best two-way center fielders in baseball. He earned his reputation as a prospect with his defense, and a swing change in 2022 helped Friedl tap into his potential offensively.Friedl has also taken more of a leadership role this spring, setting the tone on a team that embraces the gritty style of play that defines Friedl’s game.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Reds give a reminder of good challenge of building a daily lineup
