Jeimer Candelario hits IL but Reds dodge bigger lineup scare..
Reds fans hoping to see Jeimer Candelario removed the active roster finally got their wish. The slumping infielder was not DFA’d, but instead landed on the 10-day IL with a lumbar spine strain. On the plus-side, however, Austin Hays — who has been dealing with a hamstring injury remains on the active roster, though he’s not in the starting lineup for Game 1 of the Cincinnati Reds doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Reds also made the previously announced prospect transactions official. Infielder Tyler Callihan will take Candelario’s spot on the 26-man roster and right-hander Chase Petty will make his major league debut for Game 2 of tonight’s doubleheader.
Callihan has been swinging a hot-bat at Triple-A Louisville all season and owns a .303 batting average with four home runs. He’ll make his big league debut in left field for the Reds during Game 1 against the Cardinals this afternoon.
Jeimer Candelario hits IL, but Reds keep Austin Hays on the active roster despite injury scare
Candelario was tracking toward a possible release given his play of late. The Reds’ biggest free agent acquisition a year ago had a pitiful .113/.198/.213 slash line with just two home runs this season. Perhaps his back injury had something to do with his poor production, and the Reds can now allow the veteran to heal up before recalling him back to the major league roster.
The #Reds today recalled from Triple-A Louisville IF Tyler Callihan, added RHP Chase Petty to the Taxi Squad, and placed on the 10-day injured list IF Jeimer Candelario (lumbar spine strain, retro to 4/28). Petty is scheduled to start game 2 of the doubleheader.
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 30, 2025
Adding Callihan gives Reds manager Terry Francona tons of options. The 24-year-old has experience all over the infield, but is probably best suited for second base. The Reds expanded his repertoire last season by adding the outfield to the list of positions he can play. Most of his starts at Triple-A this season were split between second base and left field.
It’ll be curious to see if Hays is in the Reds starting lineup for Game 2 against St. Louis or if he enters the first game of the doubleheader as a pinch hitter. Hays has already been sidelined once this season with a lower body injury, and Reds fans are holding their breath that his current ailment doesn’t cause him to join Candelario on the IL.
Jeimer Candelario just hit same crossroads that sparked Joey Votto’s 2020 comeback.
Having missed four of the past five games, Cincinnati Reds infielder Jeimer Candelario has effectively been benched. Candelario is hitting just .113/.198/.213 and has just two home runs and 10 RBI on the season. Noelvi Marte has been red-hot, and Reds manager Terry Francona is trying to give Spencer Steer more time in the field after he was relegated to DH duty for the first four weeks of the 2025 season.
Francona spoke about Candelario’s situation before Monday’s game. “I wanted him to understand. He’s a veteran player that’s had some really good years. And right now, it’s hard because there’s guys ahead of him,” Francona said. “We tried to explain to him, too, that you can’t chase hits. That’s a hard way to play.”
This isn’t the first time Candelario has struggled since joining the Reds. In his first 95 plate appearances last season, Candelrio hit just .159/.263/.317. But something clicked near the end of April and Candelario hit .279/.313/.542 with 12 home runs and 31 RBI from April 29-June 30 last season. That’s proof that Candelario has it within him to be a quality hitter. Perhaps this benching will be the moment when Candelario flips the switch on his 2025 campaign.
Jeimer Candelario just hit same crossroads that sparked Joey Votto’s 2020 comeback
It worked for Joey Votto five years ago. Reds fans may remember during the pandemic shortened 2020 season when then-manager David Bell benched Votto for three straight games. Bell called it a “break”, but the former MVP knew what was going on. Furthermore, he took it personally and let his bat do the talking once he returned to the diamond.
After going 0-for-4 in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 25, 2020, Votto was benched. The six-time All-Star was removed from the Reds starting lineup and was forced to be spectator for the first time in his career. After missing three straight games, Votto knew he had to be better.
“I can’t become a completely different player, I have to be true to myself, but I clearly have to make adjustments,” Votto said via MLB.com. “I don’t feel beat by this. I feel frustrated, of course. I’m bummed that we’re about 100 plate appearances, 30 games through. It’s frustrating getting judged by that.”
At the time of his benching, Votto was hitting just .191/.321/.326 with three home runs and eight RBI. The Reds were 11-17 and in fourth-place in the NL Central with only 32 games to play in the abbreviated 60-game season. Votto returned to the Reds lineup on August 29, 2020 and over the next 29 games, hit .258/.385/.557 with eight home runs and 14 RBI. The Reds were 17-12 during those games, finished with a 31-29 record, and qualified for the expanded postseason.
The Reds need Candelario to have a Votto-like resurgence upon his return to the lineup. The Reds infielder reported back soreness prior to the postponement of Tuesday’s game, so it’s quite possible that he’s headed to the IL on Wednesday rather than the bench. Candelario doesn’t have near the status of Votto, so his runway is undoubtedly much shorter than the future Hall of Famer. Reds fans are hopeful that Candelario’s benching yields similar results to Votto’s.
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