Marlon Byrd homered in his first minor-league rehab game at Double-A, so the Reds have decided to activate the veteran outfielder from the disabled list after just two weeks on the sidelines with a small fracture in his right wrist.
His overall numbers this season aren’t pretty thanks to a brutal start that saw him hit .169 in April, but Byrd batted .250 with eight homers and a .953 OPS in 26 games from May 1 through his going on the DL.
Philadelphia paid half of his $8 million salary to move Byrd in an offseason trade and the injury makes it unlikely that he’ll reach the plate appearances necessary to trigger next season’s $8 million option, potentially making the 37-year-old a trade target for contenders if he continues hitting for good power.
