3 Reds Players Are Making a Strong Case for a Call-Up

The Reds have a lot of depth at Triple-A Louisville this season, which is a great problem to have. Eugenio Suarez is expected to be placed on the injured list on Saturday. Louisville Bats outfielder JJ Bleday was removed in the sixth inning of Friday’s game, and it feels like a strong indication he could be the next call-up to Cincinnati.

Taking Bleday out of the equation, here are three players who are playing well enough to earn a promotion if the opportunity comes.

Edwin Arroyo

Red — Chattanooga infielder Edwin Arroyo (4) throws the ball after getting Knoxville infielder Jaylen Palmer (6) out during a minor league baseball game between the Knoxville Smokies and Chattanooga Lookouts at Covenant Health Park in Knoxville, Tenn., on June 3, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After a down offensive season in 2025, Edwin Arroyo is off to a strong start in Triple-A Louisville, showing why the Reds made him a key piece in the Luis Castillo trade.

In 24 games with Triple-A Louisville, Arroyo is slashing .292/.373/.438 with seven extra-base hits, including three home runs. He hit just three home runs in 121 games in Double-A Chattanooga last season.

Arroyo missed the entire 2024 season due to a shoulder injury he sustained in spring training and it feels like he is finally starting to get the pop back in his bat that was missing in 2025.

Hector Rodriguez

Feb 17, 2026; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Hector Rodriguez (43) during media day in Goodyear, Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Reds acquired Hector Rodriguez in a deal that sent outfielder Tyler Naquin to the New York Mets.

Rodriguez has done nothing but hit since the trade. He earned a promotion to Triple-A Louisville midway through the 2025 season. In 25 games, Rodriguez is slashing .276/.381/.469 with 10 extra-base hits. The outfielder has always been known for his incredible hand-eye coordination and his ability to make contact with pitches out of the zone. However, that is also a concern. We've seen players like Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Rece Hinds, and Noelvi Marte struggle to sustain the stats they posted in the minors when facing big-league pitching.

It looks like that is what the Reds emphasized to Rodriguez. Through 25 games, he is walking at a 14.4% clip. . To put that in perspective, he walked just 7% of the time last season. When Rodriguez got promoted to Triple-A last season, he had a chase rate of over 46%. That is a number that is simply not going to work in the majors. However, this year, while it's still a little higher than you'd like to see, it's down to just 30%.

We will see Rodriguez in Cincinnati at some point in the future.

Noelvi Marte

Apr 11, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Noelvi Marte (4) scores a run on a wild pitch by Los Angeles Angels pitcher Chase Silseth in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

I can already picture some of you rolling your eyes when you read Marte's name. No, I don't think he should be called back up after one good week in the minors. However, it's encouraging to see him swinging the bat well again and gaining confidence.

Marte is a streaky player who plays well when his confidence is high.

Since being demoted to Triple-A Louisville, Marte is slashing .394/.444/.727 with six extra-base hits. He's another player, like Rodriguez, who chases too much. His chase rate in the bigs this year was over 47%. In the eight games with Louisville, Marte is chasing 30% of the time, which is a big improvement. You'd still like to see that number continue to go down.

Marte is a talented player who can make an impact on the big league team if he continues to play with confidence and not chase pitches out of the zone. We saw that last year after he was promoted from Louisville. It's likely we will see Marte back in the bigs at some point this season.

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