JJ Bleday doubles in loss to Nationals

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.

Bleday drew a two-out walk off of Paul Skenes in the opening inning and raced around to score the Reds’ first run on an RBI double by Tyler Stephenson. He then smacked a 386-foot (105.7-mph EV) solo shot off of Skenes in the third inning that tied the score at 3-3. For the season, the 28-year-old outfielder is slashing .229/.341/.472 to go with 19 long balls and 46 RBI.

Bleday receives his first day off since the start of July after launching his 18th home run during the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader against Cleveland. The 28-year-old has cooled off considerably following a scorching-hot return to the big leagues earlier this season, but he’s still managed to connect for five round-trippers in 22 games this month. It’ll be rookie Ivan Johnson getting the nod in left field on Wednesday evening in his place.

Game two featured just six hits, three apiece from both teams, and saw the Reds win despite getting struck out 15 times in eight innings by Gavin Williams and Daniel Espino. Bleday’s homer in the first inning was his lone hit in seven at-bats on the day. He’s batting just .187/.309/.362 in 201 plate appearances since the start of June, but with Spencer Steer out and the Reds likely to shed another position player or two before the deadline, his starting spot is probably safe.

Bleday’s home run was his 13th of the year. He hit a three-run shot off David Peterson in the eighth inning. Bleday’s home run came with the game already out of reach, making a 9-0 lead 12-0. Still, Bleday has been a revelation for the Reds and fantasy managers this season. He’s hitting .272 with 34 RBI and a .953 OPS.

Bleday has cooled a little since bursting onto the scene with a hot bat and increased bat speed once the Reds called him up. However, he’s also yet to crater, and his expected stats back up the performance thus far. In addition to the bat speed gains, Bleday has trimmed his strikeout percentage, and the Reds’ home park remains highly favorable for power output. The best stretch of his season may very well be behind him, but there’s still fantasy juice to squeeze out of his profile heading into the summer.

The homer was his 11th of the year, a solo blast that came with two outs in the seventh inning and the game tied at 2. Cincinnati’s bullpen later blew the lead, setting up a Fernando Tatis Jr. walk-off homer. Bleday has looked like a transformed hitter this season, joining the Reds with significantly increased bat speed. They’re set to head back to hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark for a six-game homestand that begins Friday.

Bleday finds himself in the prime spot on Cincinnati manager Terry Francona’s lineup card for the third consecutive contest after hitting .291/.387/.632 with 10 homers and 27 RBI in 32 games since coming up from Triple-A Louisville. The power-hitting 28-year-old is making hard contact at a higher rate than ever while also showing the best plate skills of his career. It’s a bit of a small sample size, but a cursory glance under the hood suggests that his recent stratospheric production isn’t a mirage.

Bleday was one of the few bright spots for Cincinnati during this one-sided affair as he homered for the third time in his last four games. It’s admittedly a small sample size, but the 28-year-old slugging outfielder is striking out less often and making more consistent hard contact during his Reds debut, slashing .301/.398/.655 with 10 homers and 27 RBI in 133 plate appearances over 31 games this season. He should be rostered in all fantasy leagues by this point.

Bleday went 6-for-11 with two homers and five RBI in the series against the Braves and now has his OPS back over 1.000. He doesn’t qualify for leaderboards yet after opening up in the minors, but he’d currently rank third in the majors and first in the NL in OPS. His 1.040 mark trails only Ben Rice’s 1.066 and Yordan Alvarez’s 1.050.