Reds shake up outfield, option Noelvi Marte to Triple-A

Apr. 13—Last August, Noelvi Marte was the Cincinnati Reds' best player. Now, two weeks into the 2026 season, the Reds optioned him to Triple-A.

The Reds are expected to call up outfielder Rece Hinds, according to sources.

Marte, 24 years old, still has a chance to make a notable impact over the long run of this season. But right now, the Reds are hoping that having him play every day in Triple-A will help Marte develop and improve his approach at the plate.

Marte's issue this year was that he consistently chased pitches outside of the strike zone and grounded out. It got to the point where he was barely seeing strikes because pitchers knew that he wasn't going to take walks. Marte was hitting .131, and all of his hits were singles.

Marte was the Reds' every day right fielder throughout the second half of the 2025 season. He competed for a spot in spring training and won the right field job, but there was plenty of competition. On Monday, the Reds decided to give one of those competitors a shot.

Rece Hinds is a .191 hitter in 39 big league games between 2024 and 2025, but he's a different player than he has been in the past. During the second half of the Triple-A season last year, Hinds showed a much-improved approach at the plate and cut down his strikeout rate significantly.

When he makes contact, he has the power to do real damage. He's also one of the better defensive options that the Reds have in the outfield. He can play left field, center field and right field.

TJ Friedl remains the Reds' starting center fielder, and Spencer Steer is making the bulk of starts in left field. The Reds' options in right field include Hinds and Will Benson. The Reds also have center fielder Dane Myers off to a nice start, and the Reds can play Myers in center on days where Friedl is in left.