Hector Rodriguez’s Big Game on Wednesday Strengthens His Case for Reds Promotion

Hector Rodriguez had a big day for the Cincinnati Reds Triple-A affiliate on Wednesday. The Louisville Bats defeated the St. Paul Saints 10-5. St. Paul is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins.

Hector Rodriguez Showcases His Power and Speed

Rodriguez went 4-4 on Wednesday with three home runs, four RBIs, and a walk, raising his batting average to .284 and his OPS to .839. In his first at-bat, Rodriguez showcased his speed, hitting an inside-the-park home run. Running hard all the way, the ball ricocheted off the wall towards the infield with both outfielders near the warning track. By the time the ball made it back into the infield, Rodriguez was sliding into home.

His second home run came in the bottom of the sixth and cleared the wall this time, going 394 feet over the right-center field wall at 99.5 miles per hour. Rodriguez's home run was the first of three consecutive home runs for the Bats. Noelvi Marte and Michael Toglia followed with a home run of their own to cut St.Paul's lead to one, eventually tying the game on a Francisco Urbaez RBI single later in the inning.

Rodriguez launched his third home run of the game in the bottom of the seventh inning and gave Louisville a 6-5 lead. Landing on the roof just past the right-field wall, it was hit 105.2 miles per hour and 382 feet, capping off a big game from the Reds' fifth-ranked prospect and top outfield prospect.

How Long Do the Reds Wait To Call Him Up?

Rodriguez is having a good season overall, and I believe he is worthy of being called up if the Reds continue to lack offensive production from the outfield. He's walking at a near 10 percent rate and striking out at 16.5 percent, less than 20 percent. His walk-rate is currently a career best, and his chase-rate has dropped 12 percent compared to last season. After reaching Triple-A last year, alongside Sal Stewart, Rodriguez was another prospect the Reds were considering calling up in September and was on the outside looking in going into Spring Training.

“He played really well last year,” Nick Krall told Charlie Goldsmith. “At the end of the day, we could only take so many guys in September, so we ended up selecting Sal to the roster just because of the positional fit. We’re really excited for what (Rodríguez) can do. He’s going to come in this spring and compete for a spot. We’ll see what happens.”

He has made adjustments and has shown growth this year over prior seasons.

“I’ll continue to focus on my game and my training,” Rodríguez said via interpreter Angel Gonzalez. “I appreciate that I’m in those conversations to have opportunities, and I’m looking forward to more in spring training to hopefully make the team.”

He’ll be another prospect to keep an eye on in Triple-A, along with Edwin Arroyo. Both of them have the potential to make their Major League debuts this season.

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