Cincinnati Reds Triple-A Affiliate Announces Roster Ahead of Season Opener

CINCINNATI – The Louisville Bats have unveiled their full roster ahead of Friday's season opener.

The Bats open their season on Friday against the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Kansas City Royals Triple-A affiliate. They have a solid roster to start the season, with a lot of players who could have made the Cincinnati roster in prior years.

The Outfield is Loaded

Cincinnati Reds left fielder JJ Bleday (22) hits a double RBI in the second inning of a Cactus League game between the Cincinnati Reds and Seattle Mariners, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

All four outfielders are players who could contribute to the Major League club right now. Rece Hinds put together an impressive 2025 campaign that saw him named the team's Most Valuable Player and become just the second Bat ever to have a 20/20 season. This spring, Hinds hit five home runs while batting .410 with a 1.099 OPS. While it was a long shot, Hinds can make an impact offensively when given at-bats and looks to stay ready should the Reds need a right-handed hitting outfielder to come up should injuries arise.

“I think one guy that comes to mind who really did a great job last year in Triple-A is Rece Hinds,"Krall said…He cut his strikeout rate by 12% in Triple-A. If he can do that in the big leagues, he’s got a chance to be a monster.”

JJ Bleday also had an impressive spring, but the Reds ultimately chose to go with the veteran first baseman, Nathaniel Lowe, for the final spot on the roster. Bleday is coming off a season that produced a .698 OPS and was demoted from the Athletics’ active roster. This spring, he hit .317 with a 1.047 OPS and four home runs. Bleday looks to be the first man up in the outfield.

Blake Dunn made the 26-man roster to start the 2025 season and slashed .150/.320/.356 with three extra-base hits in 60 at-bats. He was demoted to Triple-A on May 9th and finished the season there. He slashed .291/.397/.401 with 23 extra-base hits and 24 stolen bases. Nick Krall identified him as a potential option to make the roster out of camp, saying, “Blake Dunn had a great second half. I think he hit .344 in the second half in Triple-A.”

The final outfield spot is manned by top-10 prospect Hector Rodriguez. Rodriguez was promoted to Triple-A with Sal Stewart during the All-Star break last season, and his production dipped compared to Double-A. He had a .789 OPS with 16 extra-base hits in 53 Triple-A games. The 22-year-old put up impressive numbers in the Spring Breakout Game this month versus the Giants' prospects. He was 2-3 with a home run, four RBIs, and a run scored.

“I’ve been working a lot," Rodríguez said via third-base coach and interpreter Peterson Plaz. “It meant a lot to me, even if it's just one game. But I’m just trying to help the team to win.”

The Reds have four legitimate options in the outfield that can come up and be a contributor to the offense.

Edwin Arroyo Triple-A Debut

The switch-hitting Arroyo makes his Triple-A debut this season. If not for the shoulder injury in the 2024 season, he most likely would have played here last season. In Double-A last season, the 22-year-old hit .284 with a .716 OPS. He has caught the eye of many with his defensive ability, but Eugenio Suarez sees a potential star in the young shortstop. One thing Arroyo has been working on during the offseason and during spring training is hitting for more power.

“I made some adjustments to put the ball more in the air,”Arroyo told Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie's Chalkboard. “I had a lot of hits last year. I’d like to have had more doubles, triples and homers. It’s coming. I won’t force it. It’ll happen if I put the ball in the air.”

If he can hit for more power and see improvement in his offensive game, Arroyo has the tools to become the star that Suarez believes he can be. The main question is whether the Reds will utilize him in a more flexible role defensively, with Elly De La Cruz locking down the shortstop position in Cincinnati.

Pitching Firepower

The bullpen has several Major League-ready arms as well, and Chase Petty looks to rebound after a disappointing 2025 campaign. The bullpen is led by Tejay Antone, Zach Maxwell, Luis Mey, and Lyon Richardson, with Hagen Danner and Trevor Kuncl looking to provide solid options to make a case for Major League options at some point this season. Kuncl was a Southern League All-Star in his first season in the Reds organization and his first season of affiliate ball after spending the past few seasons in independent ball. Julian Aguiar returns after spending all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Chase Petty made his Major League debut last season and, unfortunately for him, had a down year at both Triple-A and the Major League level. This season, Petty looks to rebound with the experience of last year behind him.

"Like last year, I was dying for the debut and it's everyone's dream, and I experienced it," Petty said. "I experienced the 'bad' of the game up there. I got that 'welcome to the big leagues' moment − a couple times. And it's a good thing knowing I got that out early in my career.

Petty was brilliant in the Spring Breakout game versus the Giants. He recorded six strikeouts in four innings with no walks. 30 of his 40 pitches were thrown for strikes.

"I know that they got Burns. They got (Williamson). You got Rhett. They've got all these great competitors... I'm a realist. I know what's going to happen up there and I know that when my name is called, I'm going to be ready to go back up there and do my job."

The Bats have a plethora of talent that can provide depth at the Major League level this season and beyond. They will be a team to keep an eye on as the year goes on. They have players I didn't go into detail on, like Christian Encarnacion-Strand, hoping to bounce back and become a consistent player again and be a formidable power threat in the Reds lineup.