The Cincinnati Reds optioned Noelvi Marte to Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday, and the move put Héctor Rodríguez in line for a bigger right-field role. After being called up a little over two weeks ago, Rodríguez now looks like the team's de facto right fielder.
He already gave the club a reason to keep watching. On Monday, Rodríguez drew the start in right field for Game 2 against the St. Louis Cardinals and delivered his first RBI base hit in the major leagues, a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning that tied the game at 4-4. Cincinnati later won in extra innings on an Elly De La Cruz walk-off single.
That is why Rodríguez's name matters now. The Reds brought him up after the trade deadline to add some pop from the left side of the plate after they shipped Nathaniel Lowe to the Cleveland Guardians on August 3, and they had already started to lean on him when Marte was in the lineup. With JJ Bleday entrenched as the Reds' starting left fielder, right field is the clearest opening for Rodríguez to keep getting into games.
The problem is that the bat has not yet matched the opportunity. Rodríguez has gone 3-for-31 with eight strikeouts and three walks since his promotion, a.097 start that fits the free-swinging profile that once sent Marte back to the minors. The Reds did not need to make a philosophical decision on Tuesday; they made a roster one. Marte went down, Rodríguez moved up, and the message was plain enough.
If Rodríguez wants the right-field job through the end of the season, he has to do more than flash once in a big spot. He needs to start turning those sporadic at-bats into enough contact to stay on the active roster, because the opening is there now and the margin for keeping it is thin.
