Reds in anticipation of Friedl's imminent return

CINCINNATI -- TJ Friedl is doing everything he can to get back in the lineup as fast as humanly possible.

The Cincinnati outfielder, who fractured his right wrist on March 16 diving for a fly ball against Seattle in a Cactus League game in Goodyear, Ariz., began his rehab on Thursday with Triple-A Louisville.

Friedl, batting in his customary leadoff spot, went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in four plate appearances in Louisville’s 8-4 win at St. Paul. Friedl followed that up with an 0-for-4 Friday night. He finished with a strikeout and grounded into a double play as the DH in Louisville’s 4-0 loss.

Reds manager David Bell can’t wait for the day when he can start penciling Friedl into the Cincinnati lineup every day, and with the way the outfielder has been working all along, that day may not be too far away.

“He's done a lot,” Bell said. “He's put himself in a position where [he’s working on] more just timing at the plate, making sure that's not rushed.

“But physically, he's done everything from healing fast to keeping his legs in shape, keeping his arm in shape. He's done everything he can to speed this process. So, whenever we feel he's gotten enough at-bats, he'll be here.”

Bell said before Friday’s game that the club should have a good idea by the end of the weekend just how long Friedl might need in the Minors before he’s cleared to return.

“I haven't felt like it'd be fair to put a date on that,” Bell said. “It kind of needs to play out a little bit so that he can just focus on his timing and getting his at-bats.”

Friedl exploded onto the scene in his third season with the Reds in 2023, slashing .279/.352/.467 with 18 homers and 27 stolen bases.

“TJ, as we all know, he's a big part of our team,” Bell added. “So having TJ back in the lineup, just around our team, is going to be great and so encouraging. I know how much he loves to play. I know he wants to be here but at least he's back playing.”

“I think I've probably played with him more than anybody,” said Tyler Stephenson, Friedl’s teammate in parts of each season since 2017 while coming up through the Reds’ system. “He's been the same guy in the Minor Leagues. He's just an absolute gamer, brings energy every day. And just around the clubhouse, he's great. And he's made a huge impact right away. We're all looking forward to when he comes back.”