The Reds revealed that they have actually remembered outfielder Blake Dunn from Triple-A Louisville. In a matching relocation, very first baseman Dominic Smith has actually been designated for task. The club’s 40-man lineup count drops to 39.

Smith, 29, was with the Reds for simply over a week. He signed with them on August 22 and has actually given that taken 29 plate looks over 9 video games, striking simply .192/.276/.269 because time. That’s clearly not excellent production however it’s likewise not a significant sample size to reason from.

The truth that Smith is now being bumped from the lineup may state more about the group than about him. The Reds were 5.5 video games back of a playoff area when Smith was signed however they have actually given that been up to 9.5 video games back. With their playoff hopes now basically rushed, there’s little usage for an upcoming totally free representative like Smith, particularly one without any genuine protective flexibility. They can rather utilize their staying video games to provide playing time to gamers attempting to make functions on next year’s club, such as Dunn.

Smith has sufficient service time to turn down a straight-out task, so he will likely be a totally free representative in the coming days, either by a release or by him exercising his right to choose the free market. Prior to his frustrating stint in Cincinnati, he had a much better run in Boston. In 84 video games for the Red Sox, he struck .237/.317/.390 for a wRC+ of 96, suggesting he was 4% listed below league average.

He might maybe attempt to lock on elsewhere for the rest of the season, though he won’t be postseason eligible with a brand-new club as it’s now after the September 1 cut-off date. Clubs out of contention like the Reds would most likely choose to provide playing time to manageable gamers. Smith had a strong run in 2019-20, striking .299/.366/.571 over those 2 seasons, however it’s been a rough trip side ever since. In over 1,500 journeys to the plate from 2021 to today, he’s struck .241/.311/.360 for a wRC+ of 86.