Reds outfielder TJ Friedl left Thursday’s game due to soreness in his side and will be undergoing an MRI, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
If Friedl ends up having to miss some time, it would be a disappointing development. He has been one of the bright spots on a rebuilding Reds club this year.
The 27-year-old has taken 138 trips to the plate in 2023 and is hitting .306/.351/.468 for a wRC+ of 115, indicating he’s been 15% better than the league average hitter. He won’t be able to maintain a .376 batting average on balls in play for the entire season, but he’s long had strong bat-to-ball skills. His 21% strikeout rate this year would be higher than any in his career, majors or minors, but is still a bit below the 22.7% league average for major leaguers in 2023.
Friedl was given negative grades for his defense in his first couple of seasons but has seemingly made some strides in that department in 2023. He has a +4 from Defensive Runs Saved, +1 Outs Above Average and a grade of 1.9 from Ultimate Zone Rating.
He also has four stolen bases and his sprint speed is considered by Statcast to be in the 85th percentile. When combined with his solid work at the plate, he’s produced 1.3 wins above replacement already this year in the eyes of FanGraphs, good for the team lead.
If Friedl were to require a stint on the injured list, the club would have to come up with a plan for center field. Friedl had been sharing the position with Nick Senzel, but the latter has been playing more third base of late, kicking Spencer Steer over to first. Perhaps the Reds could move Steer back over to the hot corner and Senzel to center, but they might also look to other options if they are happy with how things have been going. Jose Barrero has been primarily a shortstop, splitting that spot with Kevin Newman, but also has a handful of starts in center and could perhaps get some more time there.
The Reds will be hoping they don’t have to consider such contingency plans with the ideal outcome being that Friedl’s MRI doesn’t find anything concerning. He came into this season with less than a year of service time and could be a long-term part of the club’s roster if he continues to have solid results as an all-around contributor.
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