Reds activated INF Jeimer Candelario from the 10-day injured list and designated him for assignment.
Wow. It definitely seems like the right move, but we’re shocked the Reds did it. After all, Candelario’s three-year, $45 million contract is only just reaching the midway point. Candelario was bad in hitting .225/.279/.429 last season and far worse in opening this year at .113/.198/.213 in 91 plate appearances before going on the IL with a lumbar strain. He’d since played 17 games on a rehab assignment and hit .211/.318/.333 in the 15 of those that took place in Triple-A. The Reds could have brought him back and plugged him into the lineup with neither Spencer Steer nor Christian Encarnacion-Strand playing very well at the moment, but there wasn’t any reason to believe he’d be an upgrade. He’ll go unclaimed on waivers and become a free agent, at which point maybe the Red Sox or Mariners would be interested in giving him a look. A return to the Nationals might also be an option; he excelled there in 2023, and both Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell will be very much available in trade.