Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) was just available to pinch run or go in for defense on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, and that will likely be the case again for Thursday's series finale. Friedl is going to grab a bat again to see how he feels, but Francona said the team is hoping he'll be ready to return for Friday's series opener against the Cleveland Guardians. The 29-year-old is dealing with a bone bruise in his right wrist that he suffered on a collision with teammate Elly De La Cruz on Tuesday. Will Benson is starting in center field again on Thursday and will hit sixth against White So right-hander Bryse Wilson. In his third start of 2025 on Wednesday, Benson went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in the 4-2 loss. The left-handed hitter has faced Wilson eight times in his career and is hitting .125 with a homer and two RBI.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) is not in the team's starting lineup on Wednesday against the visiting Chicago White Sox at Great American Ball Park after suffering a right-wrist bone bruise when he fell on Tuesday during a collision with teammate Elly De La Cruz. The left-handed-hitting Will Benson will start in center field and bat seventh against White Sox right-hander Davis Martin. Fantasy managers should consider Friedl to be day-to-day for now and check to see if he's able to return to the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Pale Hose. Benson was recently called up from Triple-A Louisville and will return to the big leagues after going 2-for-12 earlier in the season with an RBI, steal, one walk and five strikeouts in four games. Benson is a streaky hitter with limited DFS upside near the bottom of the batting order against a pitcher he has yet to face in his career.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (wrist) left Tuesday's extra-inning loss to the visiting Chicago White Sox early due to right-wrist soreness, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Charlie Goldsmith. X-rays came back negative. Friedl was hit by a pitch in the game and also collided with shortstop Elly De La Cruz before being pulled from the game early. Before leaving in the fifth frame, the 29-year-old went 0-for-1 with a strikeout out of the leadoff spot before being replaced by Will Benson. Fantasy managers should treat him as day-to-day for now, but it wouldn't be a surprise if we don't see him for the rest of the series against Chicago, which concludes on Thursday. Friedl has been a regular outfielder for the Reds this year and entered Tuesday's game hitting a solid .276 (43-for-156) with three homers, 17 RBI, 23 runs and eight stolen bases in 39 games played.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl hit two solo home runs and walked once in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Braves. This was his first time homering since April 5th, bringing his total to three on the year. He's now slashing .273/.338/.392 and has eight stolen bases as the regular leadoff hitter for the Reds. He is still available on the waiver wire in too many fantasy leagues for a leadoff hitter who plays half of his games in one of the most hitter-friendly venues in the league. He has the potential to steal over 30 bases with enough pop to not hurt you in any other categories.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl was unstoppable at the plate during Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles. The O's pitchers had no answers as Friedl went 4-for-4 with a double, two RBI, a walk, and a steal in the loss. Friedl has been red-hot with eight hits over his last three games. He hasn't been a great fantasy option this season, but Friedl is now batting over .300 on the year. Fantasy managers seeking some production on offense might want to consider Friedl while he's on his hot streak. It's worth noting that Friedl has favorable matchups coming up against the Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl went 1-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and one RBI in Sunday's 4-0 home win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 29-year-old is up to a .254 average now (15-for-59), with two doubles, one home run, six RBI and 11 runs scored. Friedl was limited to 85 games in 2024 after thumb, wrist, and hamstring injuries forced him to the IL on three separate occasions. He's been better so far this season, and statcast thinks he's underperforming. The California native has already swiped two bags -- seven off his total of nine last year -- and holds a .273 xBA. Perhaps more encouraging, Friedl's strikeout rate has dropped for the second straight season to 13.8%, presenting as a career-low if it holds.

Cincinnati Reds outfielders TJ Friedl and Jake Fraley are not in the starting lineup on Sunday as the Reds will face San Francisco southpaw Robbie Ray. Friedl has started in each of the first two games of the series in center field. Serving as the leadoff man, he went 2-for-9 at the plate with an RBI. As a result, Blake Dunn will cover center field, but Matt McLain will move up to the top of the order. Fraley has also started in each of the first two contests but did not tally a hit. He will be replaced by Santiago Espinal in right field, and he will bat second. Fantasy managers should expect both Fraley and Friedl to return to the starting nine on Monday when they face Texas right-hander Kumar Rocker. Espinal and Dunn are best to fade in DFS this afternoon, facing Ray.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate in Saturday's 12-1 win over the Twins. The 29-year-old homered for the second straight game and has now gone 7-for-8 against Twins pitchers the last two days, tallying five RBI and four runs scored in the process. Now the author of a .233-13-53-34-9 line through 74 games played, one wonders what that line could have looked like had he been able to stay healthy all season long. With his strong contact rate and low strikeout rate, he could still finish the season with a flurry of production.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored in Friday's 8-4 win over the Twins. It has been a season marred by injury for the 29-year-old but he's showing signs of life in September, hitting .262 with a pair of home runs, 11 RBI, six runs scored, and two stolen bases in 12 games. For the season, the left-handed hitter has a .221-12-51-32-9 line with a .302 wOBA and 87 wRC+. Friedl still boasts an 83.2% contact rate and a better-than-average strikeout rate of 16.0%, so there's hope he can finish strong and come into 2025 as a healthy multi-category contributor for fantasy.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl is back in center field and is batting cleanup on Monday against the Atlanta Braves and right-hander Charlie Morton at Truist Park for the series opener. Friedl left Saturday's game early against the New York Mets after he was experiencing shortness of breath. He sat out of the series finale on Sunday but is apparently feeling much better to begin a new week. Friedl has only faced Morton one time in his career and did not record a hit. The 29-year-old has only played in 68 games with the Reds in his fourth year in the big leagues in 2024 due to various ailments. In that short time, he's provided 11 home runs, 46 RBI and eight stolen bases while slashing .218/.300/.385 with a career-worst .685 OPS. Friedl has looked better in seven games in September, going 6-for-23 (.261) with a homer, double, six RBI and a steal.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (chest) will remain sidelined on Sunday as the Reds conclude a series with the New York Mets. Friedl left Saturday's game early after experiencing shortness of breath. As a precaution, he was taken to the hospital and thankfully nothing serious was detected. However, out of precautionary measures, the outfielder will take a seat on Sunday which will open up center field for Will Benson. Fantasy managers should pay attention to the 29-year-old's status ahead of the new week as he could miss a few more games. Benson is worth a look in DFS against the Mets as he will bat in the eight-hole and face Mets right-hander Luis Severino who enters Sunday with a 3.84 ERA.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl will head to the bench with a left-hander on the mound on Friday against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Stuart Fairchild will handle center-field duties and will bat sixth against Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter. Not only is Friedl hitless in 10 at-bats over his last three games, but he's hitting .233 (10-for-43) with only one of his 10 home runs on the season against southpaws. Fairchild is hitting .273 with two RBI in 11 career at-bats against Falter and has hit .278 (30-for-108) with five of his eight long balls in 2024 against lefties. Still, Fairchild is a relatively unimpressive low-upside DFS play with only eight home runs, 29 RBI and 13 steals on the year while hitting .218 in 206 total at-bats.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl went deep in Monday's series-opening win over the hosting Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, racking up three hits in the victory. Friedl drilled a solo home run off Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman to right field, tying the game at two runs apiece for Cincinnati in the fourth inning on Monday against Toronto. 2024 has been a stop-start season for the left-handed-hitting 29-year-old center fielder due to injuries, but he's heating up over his last 15 games, batting .302 (16-for-53) with five homers, 13 RBI, and eight runs scored for the Reds.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl went 2-for-4 with his seventh homer in Thursday's 10-4 win over the Miami Marlins. Friedl took Kyle Tyler deep in the first inning, then delivered a pair of RBIs later in the game on a single and a hit-by-pitch. He was a little slow to get back into things after his latest trip to the IL, but with homers in consecutive games, he looks like he might be back to form. Friedl had a terrific 2023, and although this season has been injury-plagued, he can still contribute a blend of power and speed that fantasy managers will want to have down the stretch, making him a solid waiver-wire option.

The Cincinnati Reds activated outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned outfield prospect Rece Hinds to Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Friedl will immediately start in center field on Friday against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Shane Baz while batting in the cleanup spot. The left-handed-hitting Friedl should take over the strong side of a platoon in center field in Cincinnati against right-handed pitchers now that he's healthy. The 28-year-old hasn't been able to get going in 2024 due to multiple injuries, and he'll return to a .216/.315/.361 slash line with four homers, 16 RBI and six stolen bases. However, fantasy managers can't ignore the fact that he's just a year removed from hitting 18 homers, driving in 66 and swiping 27 bags in 138 games in 2023.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) is set to join Triple-A Louisville on Sunday to begin a rehab assignment. The 28-year-old has been sidelined with a hamstring strain since June 24. Friedl has appeared in only 26 games this season due to several nagging injuries and has held a mediocre .216/.315/.361 line with four home runs, 16 RBI, and six stolen bases. Last summer, Friedl showcased his ability to be a strong five-category contributor with a .279 AVG, 18 home runs, and 27 stolen bases. The outfielder could return as soon as next weekend, depending on how well he does at Triple-A. Friedl will likely see a majority of the starts in center field in Cincinnati during the second half.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) is trending to return from the 10-day injured list in the first week to 10 days after next week's All-Star break. Friedl continues to work his way back from a right-hamstring strain. The 28-year-old was cleared to begin a running progression this week and will continue to ramp up during next week's All-Star break before likely going out on a short minor-league rehab assignment. The left-handed-hitting outfielder has had bad luck with injuries in 2024 and has only had 97 at-bats so far for the Reds, collecting 21 hits (.216 average) with just four home runs, 16 RBI and six stolen bases. Friedl should return to being at least on the strong side of a platoon in center field for the Reds against right-handed pitching, though.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) is set to start a running progression after a follow-up exam with a doctor went well on Monday. Friedl has been out for two weeks with a left-hamstring strain but has already resumed playing catch and hitting off a tee. As long as the 28-year-old outfielder doesn't suffer a setback as he progresses in his running progression, he could be ready to come off the 10-day injured list for the start of the second half of the season after the mid-July All-Star break. Friedl has had an injury-plagued campaign in 2024, as he's received just 97 at-bats, but he should return to seeing regular playing time in center field for Cincy against right-handed pitching when he's past his hamstring strain. He hasn't been able to get on track yet this year, hitting .216 (21-for-97) with four home runs, 16 RBI and six stolen bases.

The Cincinnati Reds placed outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Monday with a right-hamstring strain and selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Levi Jordan from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Friedl injured his right hamstring a week ago and missed two games before returning to the Reds' lineup over the weekend. However, the 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder aggravated the injury on Sunday and will now head to the injured list for the third time in 2024. When healthy, Friedl can be a weapon for the Reds and fantasy managers against right-handed pitching, but he just hasn't been able to stay healthy this year. Hopefully, he'll have a minimum stay on the IL. In the meantime, Stuart Fairchild will probably benefit the most from more playing time in center field.UPDATE: Manager David Bell said Friedl was playing at about 80-85 percent and is hoping he will be back in two to three weeks.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) is back in center field and is batting leadoff for the Reds on Friday against the visiting Boston Red Sox and right-hander Kutter Crawford. Friedl was removed from Monday's game with a tight hamstring and was held out the last two games as well. However, the left-handed-hitting 28-year-old outfielder is now ready to go this weekend and returns to the top spot in the batting order. He's already missed a lot of time due to injuries this year, which has made it difficult for him to get settled offensively. Friedl is currently hitting just .214 (18-for-84) with four home runs, 15 RBI and six stolen bases, but he has a good track record against right-handed pitching and could easily bounce back the rest of the year if he can stay on the field consistently. Friedl has never faced Crawford in his career.