The Cincinnati Reds have activated infielder Kevin Newman from the 10-day injured list, the team announced Monday. To make room for Newman on the active roster, the Reds have also moved catcher Curt Casali to the 10-day injured list with a left foot contusion.
In a separate move, Cincinnati optioned right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt to Triple-A Louisville, then called up right-handed pitcher Daniel Duarte to take his place in the bullpen.
Newman has been out since before the All-Star break, last seeing the field on July 9 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Before he went down with gastritis, Newman was hitting .260 with three home runs, 27 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .693 OPS. He spent the previous five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he hit .260 with a .660 OPS.
Newman is a .304 hitter with a .901 OPS against left-handed pitchers in 2023, though, making the utility man a viable platoon option for manager David Bell.
His spot in the infield may not be as certain as it was early in the year, though, as rookies Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand have all carved out near-everyday roles in his absence. Cincinnati is even reportedly open to trading second baseman Jonathan India, who has only missed one game all season.
Casali – who was hitting just .175 with a .490 OPS – has appeared in 40 games this year, but only one since the All-Star break. His injury coincides with 32-year-old Luke Maile's breakout as the primary backup catcher, with the veteran going 5-for-7 with a home run over the weekend.
As for the changes to their pitching staff, Stoudt leaves the team having put up a 9.58 ERA and 2.323 WHIP across four appearances and two starts. Duarte is now back on the major league roster five days after being optioned, and he returns to the bullpen boasting a 2.77 ERA and 1.462 WHIP in 14 outings this season.
The refreshed Reds open up a three-game road series against the Brewers on Monday at 8:10 p.m. ET. Cincinnati trails Milwaukee by 0.5 games for first place in the NL Central, meaning the winner of the midweek series will take control of the division.
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