Terry Francona Has Clear Message for Struggling Reds Outfielder TJ Friedl

It's been a tough year for Friedl.

Apr 26, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (29) hits a triple in the third inning against the Detroit Tigers at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl is going through one of the toughest stretches of his career to begin the 2026 season.

Through 41 games, he's lost his spot atop the lineup, is playing way less, and is slashing .178/.258/.260 with eight extra base hits and five stolen bases.

The veteran outfielder's expected batting average is just .198, which is easily the worst of his career. It's also in the bottom five percent of Major League Baseball. His expected slugging, his xwOBA, and his hard hit percentage are also among the league's worst.

Terry Francona Has Clear Message for Struggling Friedl

May 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) walks on the field in the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

On Monday, Reds manager Terry Francona shared with the media the message he's been telling Friedl throughout his struggles.

“I was telling TJ the other day, ‘You’ve got to walk up to the plate with your chest out still,'” Francona told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. “'You’ve got to be strong enough mentally to look at the scoreboard and see your batting average and know that's not what you are.’”

While Friedl isn't crushing the fastball, his numbers against offspeed pitches and breaking balls have been alarmingly bad.

He's 2 for 29 against offspeed pitches and just 5 for 29 against breaking balls. Every season from 2021 to 2025, Friedl's pull percentage has been above 20%, ranking near the top of MLB. In 2026, it's down to 12.7%, which is near the bottom of the league.

Friedl is trying to stay positive and he appreciate his manager having his back.

“He's done a great job of just kind of being there for us,” Friedl said. “Having a Hall of Fame manager really helps, because he's been through it all. He's had good teams, and even good teams go through tough times. We know that you're not going to go through a season where there's not going to be some slumps. We know who we are, and every day is a new opportunity to go out there and show that.”

With the Reds facing a left-handed pitcher on Tuesday, Friedl is out of the lineup. Dane Myers is batting fifth and playing center.

If Friedl’s struggles continue, the Reds may eventually have to seriously consider making a difficult decision. It would not be easy for an organization to move on from a player who has meant so much and provided so much value over the years, but production still has to matter.