Michael

De Leon

De Leon returns to Cincinnati after batting .262/.307/.398 with seven homers across 317 plate appearances between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville last year. The 25-year-old shortstop will augment the Reds’ minor-league middle infield depth entering the 2022 campaign.

The 23-year-old native of the Dominican Republic hasn’t quite developed into the offensive force that many once thought he would. In 2019, he slashed just .260/.309/.314 with three homers, 40 RBI, three stolen bases and a 62/30 K/BB ratio. The Reds are hopeful that a change of scenery will do him some good.

The 19-year-old Dominican Republic native homered from both sides of the plate. De Leon is starting to get hot. He’s hit .406 with 10 RBI during his eight-game hitting streak while raising his average from .259 to .281. De Leon had just one homer in 217 at-bats this season prior to Tuesday. He spent all of last year in Low-A Hickory, batting just .222 with one homer in 81 appearances.

He finished with three singles, a double and three RBI. Tuesday marked the second four-hit game of his career. De Leon had been just 3-for-24 in his previous six contests. The 18-year-old is one of the youngest players in minor league baseball. Given his lack of experience, the Rangers have to be pleased with De Leon’s .256 average and 17 RBI this season.