Michael

Reed

Reed elected free agency after being outrighted off the 40-man roster but then re-signed. He’ll remain in the organization as outfield depth.

Reed was designated for assignment in order to clear a spot for the newly-acquired Kevin Pillar on the 40-man roster. Acquired from the Twins toward the end of spring training, the 26-year-old was 0-for-8 with six strikeouts to begin the year. He could soon be on the move once again.

Reed and Connor Joe have both started the Giants’ first two games since the Padres were throwing lefties, and both have put up 0-fors so far. They’ll probably take seats versus righties, with Gerardo Parra playing right field over Reed and Yangervis Solarte seeing time in left field.

This could actually buy the Giants some time with Williamson, who is out of minor league options. He can be placed on the injured list to open the season and then sent to Triple-A Sacramento for a rehab assignment while the Giants sort out their left field situation. Rule 5 Draft pick Connor Joe or the recently-added Michael Reed could open as the starter in that spot for San Francisco.

This clears a spot off the 40-man roster for the Twins, who reportedly will use the move to add a pitcher to it. Reed, 26, crushed minor league pitching last year to the tune of a .972 OPS in Double-A and Triple-A, and received a cup of coffee with the Braves before being claimed by the Twins off waivers on Halloween. He should have a good chance of earning time in the beleaguered San Francisco outfield, but you might want to take a wait-and-see approach to see if he gets playing time before considering him for fantasy purposes.

The Twins claimed Reed off waivers from the Braves in October as some extra protection in the event of Byron Buxton getting hurt or maybe disappointing again. He doesn’t seem to fit on the roster at this point, but since he’s out of options, he’s not only trying out for the Twins. While he’s never projected as a starter, his on-base skills and speed could make him a useful backup.

After six years in the Brewers system, Reed signed with the Braves as a minor league free agent a year ago and hit .342/.453/.520 between Double-A and Triple-A. He was never nearly as good previously, but he’s fast, he draws walks, and he has a little pop; he could have a career as a reserve outfielder.

He finished with a career-high five RBI as the Sky Sox rolled to an impressive 13-5 win over visiting New Orleans. Before Tuesday’s outburst, Reed had been hitless in his previous four games with eight strikeouts in 14 at-bats. Reed has totaled 71 walks this season, which ranks fourth in the Pacific Coast League. He’s also contributed 19 steals and 67 runs scored. Unfortunately, he’s hit just .250 with a weak .370 slugging percentage.

With Keon Broxton sidelined for the remainder of the season and Kirk Nieuwenhuis on the shelf for at least the remainder of the weekend, Reed will provide much-needed depth in the Brewers outfield. The 23-year-old hit .248/.366/.365 with eight homers, 45 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 121 games at Triple-A.

Michael Reed will start in left field and bat eighth versus Rangers right-hander A.J. Griffin. This appears to be a routine day of rest for Braun, who’s slashing .307/.368/.544 with 30 home runs and 90 RBI in 132 games this season. He also has 16 stolen bases and 78 runs scored.