Terry Francona Sends Loud Message to Reds Amid Horrid Offensive Stretch

The Cincinnati Reds have already been through a roller coaster ride of a season this year, and they're only through 14 games.

Through the first couple of games, the Reds had one of the best pitching staffs in baseball and a promising young offense with the potential to turn the team into a powerhouse. But the last few times out, the Reds have seen their offense go silent and their pitching staff struggle.

Heading into Saturday's game with the Los Angeles Angels, the Reds are losers of three straight games, but they still sit at 8-6 on the season. Following Friday night's crushing 10-2 loss to the Angels, manager Terry Francona had a message for the team.

Terry Francona Sends a Message to The Reds

Apr 8, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona walks back to the dugout after making a pitching change in the third inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

“I told them today that as long as they don’t feel sorry for themselves, and they don’t, we’ll figure this out together,” Francona said, via Reds reporter Charlie Goldsmith. “They’re good workers. Great kids. Great teammates. You’ve got to plug away. We will. I fully believe guys get to their level as long as they’re healthy.”

Francona has always had a lot of trust and belief in the roster that he has in Cincinnati. While TJ Friedl has struggled this season, Francona has always been vocal about the player, worker, and leader that he is. The same thing can be said for Spencer Steer.

The Reds have scored 41 runs through 14 games, which ranked dead last in the league. They've held their opponents to 58 runs scored, which ranks in the middle of the pack. The Reds' run differential (-17), which was once positive, is the second-worst in baseball, only ahead of the Chicago White Sox (-29).

Reds Have A Lot More Potential Than They've Shown

Apr 8, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) looks on after a called strike three pitch to end the game as Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (34) holds the ball in his glove at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Practically everything has gone wrong for the Reds this season, besides Sal Stewart. Elly De La Cruz is crushing the ball on occasion, but it doesn't seem like he's fully found his stride despite holding a .795 OPS through 14 games.

Matt McLain, who was the best player in baseball during spring training, has cooled off completely. He's slashing .218/.328/.273, but he's making some decently loud contact and putting together good at-bats. This should turn around in the future.

“Some of our approaches could be a little better, but no pressing,” McLain said, via Goldsmith. “We’ve faced some good arms so far. A lot of bad luck. That’s baseball.”

Friedl is playing the worst baseball of his career right now. While he looks a bit slower than usual, it's very unlikely that he struggles like this for the entire season. While it seems like Friedl has struggled for 2 months, it's only been two weeks. He's been far too consistent for the Reds over the last few years to cut him from the roster.

Ke'Bryan Hayes is the victim of some unfortunate batted ball luck, but he's hitting under .100, so it's hard to blame luck completely, but he should see regression to the mean, too.

It's easy to be frustrated with the Reds. There are some moves they could look to make, including promoting Rece Hinds and JJ Bleday, but the Reds shouldn't start feeling sorry for themselves. It's a long season.

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