Last week saw the Cincinnati Reds get caught a tad bit shorthanded on the infield. Ke’Bryan Hayes was already on the 10-day IL alongside Spencer Steer, while the quad strain suffered by Elly De La Cruz meant he was limited to only DH duties for several days. On top of that, Eugenio Suarez was away from the team as he was busy acing his US naturalization test, meaning the depth and versatility the club usually enjoys on the dirt was stretched thin.
So, it made sense to carry Ivan Johnson, who’s capable
at filling in across the diamond. Now that Geno’s back and Elly’s more mobile (in theory), finding other ways to help the position player corps became the goal of the front office.
The next man up? That’d be Carlos Jorge, whom the Reds promoted to the big leagues for the first time on Friday afternoon prior to their series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Jorge, who also has vast experience at 2B in his minors career, is an elite defender in CF who also has swiped 33 bags on the season. His bat is coming around in a big way, too, as he’s hit .313/.360/.463 across his last 20 games with AAA Louisville (86 PA).
There’s a very educated school of thought that suggests he’s going to be a very big part of the Cincinnati outfield for a long time going forward, seeing as he doesn’t even turn 23 until later this month. Now, the Reds will get an early look at where he may project to start the 2027 season as they face decisions on several other key outfield pieces this winter.
Welcome to the show indeed, Carlos!
