The Reds will recall outfield prospect Héctor Rodríguez for his MLB debut before Tuesday’s opener with the A’s. President of baseball operations Nick Krall announced the move this evening (relayed by C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic). Rodríguez already occupies a 40-man roster spot and the Reds opened a bench vacancy by trading Nathaniel Lowe to Cleveland.

Rodríguez, 22, is one of the better prospects in the Cincinnati system. The Reds acquired him at the 2022 deadline in a deal that sent outfielder Tyler Naquin to the Mets. Rodríguez was an 18-year-old in rookie ball at the time. It has turned into a nice find for Cincinnati’s scouting department, as the lefty batter has continued to hit up the minor league ladder.

A shorter hitter with a stocky build, Rodríguez has grown into unexpected power. He has connected on 27 home runs with Triple-A Louisville, batting .274/.347/.533 across 455 plate appearances. Rodríguez has slowed down as he’s filled out physically and is now a corner outfielder after playing some center early in his career. He has an aggressive approach and will expand the strike zone, but he has a knack for barreling balls up.

Baseball America and MLB Pipeline both rank Rodríguez as Cincinnati’s #3 prospect behind catcher Alfredo Duno and 2025 first-round pick Steele Hall. He should be up as an everyday player in right field, likely pushing Noelvi Marte to a bench role.