Will Benson gets sent back to the minors

Benson played a major role in the Reds’ outfield over the previous three seasons but wound up seeing just 114 plate appearances in 2026 while slashing a gruesome .188/.310/.333 with three homers, six RBI and a 38/16 K/BB ratio. He’s now free to peddle his wares on the open market.

Steer has been on the shelf with a wrist sprain since late July. There should be a definitive return timetable following next week’s surgical procedure. The hope is that he’ll be ready for spring training after a full offseason of rest and rehabilitation.

Steer was unlikely to play again this season either way, and this should just about end his ability to return since he was originally placed on the injured list on July 27. It’s a procedural move to free up a 40-man roster spot for new Reds infielder Oswaldo Cabrera.

Francona didn’t rule it out entirely, but noted that his odds of returning are “lessening” as he’s not expected to resume swinging until early October. At this point, there’s zero reason for fantasy managers in redraft leagues to continue holding onto Steer. He’s been on the injured list with a right wrist sprain since late July.

Marte performed poorly in his two-and-a-half month stint back in the big leagues with a .189/.229/.321 slash line through 201 plate appearances. What started out as a near full-time role drifting into a part-time one over the last few weeks as Marte ceded playing time to the newly promoted Hector Rodríguez. In a corresponding move, the Reds promoted Will Banfield to be the third catcher on their roster. Marte’s stock has fallen dramatically over the last few years and he shouldn’t be considered much more than organizational depth at this point. He could really use a change of scenery.

The 22-year-old outfielder had started each of the team’s previous four games, so he’ll get a breather to accommodate a crowded outfield mix in Cincinnati. He’s just 2-for-23 (.087) with a 6/3 K/BB ratio in his first 26 plate appearances with the Reds. Noelvi Marte will start in his place in right field and bat eighth against Sandy Alcantara and the Marlins on Friday night.

Cincinnati failed to resolve their crowded outfield situation at the trade deadline earlier this week, but made the decision to promote Rodríguez anyway. The dynamic 22-year-old went 0-for-2 with a walk and scored a run against the Athletics in his big-league debut on Tuesday night. He possesses a fantasy-relevant skillset and is worthy of a speculative roster spot in deeper mixed leagues. The big question is whether he’s able to carve out an everyday role over the next few weeks with JJ Bleday, Noelvi Marte, Dane Myers and TJ Friedl still in the mix.

At this point, it’s pretty clear that Friedl has been supplanted by Noelvi Marte in the team’s starting lineup, as Friedl has started just once in the team’s last six games despite facing five right-handers during that stretch. It’s Marte in right field once again and batting eighth for the Reds on Friday evening against Pirates’ ace Paul Skenes.

Steer is yet another potential trade candidate going down with an injury at the worst time. While there is no timeline yet for his potential return, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that he will miss “significant time.” There are only two months left in the season, and the Reds are all but eliminated, which means there is a chance that we don’t see Steer in an MLB game for the remainder of the season. We’d still put him in an IL spot on our fantasy teams until we hear an exact timeline.

Steer fouled off a pitch and came away shaking his right hand, which prompted the visit from the training staff and Reds’ manager Terry Franconca and after a brief discussion Steer was lifted from the game mid at-bat. He’ll presumably head for imaging to see what’s going on there. Fantasy managers who are relying on Steer for next week should have a contingency plan in place in the event that he’s forced to miss some time.