Cincinnati Reds Manager Terry Francona Still Undecided on One Lineup Spot

Despite leading the National League Central with an 18-10 record, the Cincinnati Reds have not gotten much offensive production from their outfield.

Dane Myes (.746) and Spencer Steer (.702) are the only two outfielders with an OPS above .700. To put that in perspective, the average OPS in 2026 is .715.

However, TJ Friedl and Dane Myers are platooning in center field. That isn't going to change anytime soon. Spencer Steer is going to continue to play on most days.

That leaves right field to Will Benson, Rece Hinds, and the recently promoted JJ Bleday.

Benson hasn't gotten much consistent playing time all season long. Hinds got to play nearly every day for a week, but struggled. Bleday homered in his first game with the Reds on Sunday. After Sunday's game, Reds manager Terry Francona was asked who is going to get the most playing time out there out of those three. He's not sure yet.

“I don’t know moving forward,” Francona told Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie's Chalkboard. “Some of it is who’s pitching, how guys are hitting, some balance on the bench. You try to have a good reason for whoever plays. That’s the best way I can put it.”

Let's take a look at the three options Francona has:

Will Benson

Apr 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds left fielder Will Benson (30) looks to the first base coach after stealing second against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

If Benson is going to be on the roster, he needs to see every day at-bats against right-handed pitching. That hasn't been happening, and he's struggled when given the opportunity.

The 27-year-old is slashing .162/.311/.243 with two extra-base hits and has yet to hit a home run in 22 games. With Bleday on the roster, it doesn't seem to really make sense for Benson to also be on the roster. They are two players, who are very similar, and Bleday has a much higher upside.

Rece Hinds

Jun 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Rece Hinds (57) runs onto the field before the game against the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Rece Hinds is just 4-31 since being called up to the bigs, with three of those hits going for extra bases. However, the same concerns Hinds has had in the past are still haunting him in 2026. He's chasing 39.5% of the time and striking out 45.2% of the time.

Pitchers aren't going to throw Hinds strikes until he can learn to stay off the breaking balls down and away.

Out of the 125 pitches Rece Hinds has seen, only 13 of them have been four-seam fastballs.

Hinds may have the highest upside of the three players, but he needs to learn to adjust. To adjust, he needs every day at-bats. Another difficult thing about Hinds is that he has reverse splits, similar to Noelvi Marte. That makes it hard to platoon him. Players like Hinds and Marte seem to succeed the most when they play every day and can work through their issues. However, it doesn't seem likely they'll get that opportunity given how this roster is constructed.

JJ Bleday

Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday (22) and Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Nathaniel Lowe (31) share a high five after Lowe scores a homer in the third inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers, Sunday, April 26, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Reds signed Bleday to a one-year deal in the offseason. He started out the season in Triple-A Louisville when the Reds elected to keep Nathaniel Lowe and Benson on the Opening Day roster.

He mashed the ball in Triple-A, earning a promotion when Eugenio Suarez was placed on the injured list over the weekend. Bleday would benefit from playing in a platoon role. He hits right-handed pitching well. However, as I mentioned above, that is where it gets tough. Hinds has reverse splits, so that doesn't do any good for Hinds. If the Reds wanted to call up asMarte, who is crushing the ball in Triple-A, they would still have the same issue, as Marte also has reverse splits.

It's a tough decision and Francona still isn't sure who will get the bulk of the playing time in the outfield moving forward.

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