Bleday is not in the lineup for Wednesday's contest versus the Guardians.
The left-handed-hitting Bleday plays against most southpaws, but he will begin Wednesday's game on the bench as the Guardians send lefty Joey Cantillo to the hill. Ivan Johnson will cover left field for the Reds.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Homers in nightcap
Rotowire
Bleday went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a 2-0 win over the Guardians in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader.
After going 0-for-5 in the matinee, Bleday launched a solo home run in the first inning of the nightcap, which is all the Reds would need. It was the 18th homer of the season for Bleday, who should spark interest from playoff contenders leading up to next week's trade deadline. The outfielder has a career-high .807 OPS through 78 games for Cincinnati, which is five games out of the wild-card hunt and last in the NL Central.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Swipes bag in loss
Rotowire
Bleday went 1-for-2 with two walks and a stolen base in Saturday's 7-0 loss to the Cardinals.
Bleday has gone 12 games without a multi-hit effort, but he's hit safely in 10 of them. The outfielder has also swiped three bags in that span, accounting for half of his six steals this season. Bleday is batting .238 with an .821 OPS, 17 home runs, 44 RBI, 39 runs scored, 11 doubles and one triple over 75 contests. He's done enough to function as the Reds' starter in left field since he earned a call-up in late April.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Taking seat against lefty
Rotowire
Bleday is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.
The left-handed-hitting Bleday was included in the lineup against a lefty starter (Robert Gasser) in the series opener, but he'll head to the bench Wednesday while Milwaukee sends another southpaw (Shane Drohan) to the bump. Ivan Johnson will replace Bleday in left field in what will be his first MLB start.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Blasts 13th homer in blowout win
Rotowire
Bleday went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and four RBI in Sunday's 12-0 win over the Mets.
With Cincinnati already in control, Bleday put an exclamation point on the offensive outburst by launching a three-run homer off David Peterson in the eighth inning. The blast was his 13th of the season and continued a recent power surge, as he has now homered three times over his last five games. The outfielder is now slashing .272/.367/.586 with 10 doubles, one triple, 34 RBI, 26 runs scored and two stolen bases across 188 plate appearances.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Homers in loss
Rotowire
Bleday went 1-for-3 with two walks, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to San Diego.
Bleday gave the Reds a lead in the seventh inning with his solo blast, but the team's bullpen coughed it up in the final two frames. The homer was the 11th for Bleday, who's become the Reds' primary left fielder since being called up in late April. Along with his 11 homers, Bleday has driven in 29 runs over 39 contests.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Homers in second straight game
Rotowire
Bleday went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in a loss to Atlanta on Saturday.
Bleday provided all of the runs the Reds would score with a two-run blast to right field in the second inning. The long ball was his second in as many games and his third across his past five contests. The veteran outfielder has gone 8-for-20 during that span, bringing his season slash line up to an impressive .295/.395/.629. He's added nine homers, 24 RBI and one stolen base in just 29 games.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Another multi-hit game
Rotowire
Bleday went 3-for-5 with two doubles, one RBI and two runs scored during the Reds' 7-6 win over the Guardians on Friday.
Bleday's RBI fielder's choice in the ninth inning ended up being the game winner in Friday's series opener. He has been hot at the plate recently, having logged multi-hit games in three of his last five games while going 10-for-18 with two home runs, three doubles, 12 RBI and six runs scored over that span. Bleday has a 1.241 OPS with six home runs and 19 RBI across 71 plate appearances this season.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Two homers, six RBI in rout
Rotowire
Bleday went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and six total RBI in Thursday's 15-1 victory over the Nationals.
Bleday led Cincinnati's offensive outburst Thursday, extending their lead to 9-0 with a three-run blast off lefty Foster Griffin in the fifth inning before adding a two-run homer off Zak Kent in the seventh. It's the third career multi-homer game for Bleday, who's been red hot of late, going 7-for-13 with 11 RBI in his last four games. Overall, he's slashing .321/.455/.755 with six long balls, 18 RBI and 10 runs scored across 66 plate appearances while claiming a regular spot in the Reds' lineup.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Drives in two runs Sunday
Rotowire
Bleday went 1-for-2 with a two-run triple, two walks and a stolen base during the Reds' 5-0 win over the Astros on Sunday.
Bleday put the Reds on the board with a two-run triple in the fourth inning before being brought home on a Tyler Stephenson single on the next at-bat. It was the second time this season that Bleday reached base safely three times in a game, and he is slashing .262/.392/.643 with one steal, four home runs and nine RBI across 51 plate appearances this year.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Hits in five straight
Rotowire
Bleday went 2-for-5 with an RBI and was caught stealing in Wednesday's 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Cubs.
Bleday's two-hit night upped a hit streak to five games, during which he's 7-for-20 with a double, three home runs, five RBI and five runs scored. The attempted steal was his first in nine games for Cincinnati, but speed has not historically been a feature of Bleday's game -- he's stolen 12 bases (caught seven times) over 409 MLB games prior to this season. The lefty-hitting outfielder has become a lineup regular against right-handers since being called up from the minors last week and recently moved to second in the order.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Gaining traction in lineup
Rotowire
Bleday will start in left field and bat seventh in Thursday's game against the Rockies.
The Reds will keep Bleday in the lineup for a third consecutive matchup versus a right-hander (Michael Lorenzen), after Bleday went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a walk between his first two starts since being called up from Triple-A Louisville. Bleday looks like he could get a trial as a strong-side platoon player in the corner outfield, with Will Benson (.668 OPS in 46 plate appearances) and Rece Hinds (.402 OPS in 34 plate appearances) having both underwhelmed in their opportunities for the Reds thus far.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Homers in 2026 debut
Rotowire
Bledlay went 1-for-1 with a walk and a solo home run during the Reds' 8-3 loss to the Tigers on Sunday.
Bledlay was called up by the Reds from Triple-A Louisville on Saturday and made his first major-league start of the season Sunday in left field. He tied things up at 2-2 with a solo homer off Keider Montero in the fourth inning before being replaced by Dane Myers in the sixth against a left-handed reliever. Bleday should remain in the majors for as long as Eugenio Suarez (oblique) is on the 10-day injured list.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Hits in five straight
Rotowire
Bleday started in right field and went 2-for-3 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Monday's spring game against Arizona.
Bleday recorded a hit in his fifth consecutive Cactus League game and is slashing .324/.375/.649 with three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI over 13 spring training games, but he's still not guaranteed a roster spot. There are five players vying for three bench spots, and Bleday is one of four outfielders on that list having a productive spring. The other outfielders competing include Will Benson (.250, four HR), Dane Myers (.333) and Rece Hinds (.382, four HR).
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Launches first spring homer
Rotowire
Bleday started in right field and went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's spring game against the White Sox.
Bleday's two-run shot in the third inning held up as the game-winning knock. He's appeared in two Cactus League games -- one each in left and right field -- going 3-for-6 with a homer, a double and four RBI. Bleday is competing for a depth outfielder spot and can play all three positions.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Has option remaining
Rotowire
Bleday still has a minor-league option remaining, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Bleday was signed as a free agent this offseason, and the option gives the organization flexibility when finalizing its Opening Day roster. In publishing a first attempt at a roster projection, Rosecrans included the lefty-hitting outfielder on the active roster but did not pencil him into the projected starting lineup. Bleday, who can play all three outfield spots, is best suited and most likely to see time in left field. Will Benson, another lefty batter that has an option remaining, is slotted in left field against right-handers while Spencer Steer gets the nod against lefties. The Reds are hoping Bleday returns to his 2024 form, which saw him belt 20 home runs with a .761 OPS over 159 games for the Athletics.
... See More... See Less
Reds' JJ Bleday: Headed to Cincy
Rotowire
Bleday signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Reds on Saturday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
Bleday was let go by the Athletics earlier this offseason after slashing .212/.294/.404 with 14 homers, 39 RBI and 48 RBI across 344 MLB plate appearances in 2025. The 28-year-old slugger will provide the Reds with another left-handed bat in the outfield alongside Will Benson and TJ Friedl, but there's no guarantee that Bleday will get to start regularly against right-handed pitchers.
... See More... See Less
JJ Bleday: Enters free agency
Rotowire
The Athletics non-tendered Bleday on Friday.
Bleday lost his spot on the 40-man roster Tuesday, and he'll now depart the organization as a whole after not receiving a contract offer for the 2026 season. The 28-year-old outfielder slashed .212/.294/.404 with 14 homers, 39 RBI and 48 runs scored in 98 games with the A's in 2025 and should be able to at least land a minor-league deal this winter.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' JJ Bleday: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
The Athletics designated Bleday for assignment Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Bleday took a step back in 2025, finishing the season with a .698 OPS to go with 14 homers, 39 RBI, and 48 runs scored across 307 plate appearances in the majors. As a result, he'll lose his place on the Athletics' 40-man roster, helping to make room for the addition of three prospects ahead of December's Rule 5 Draft. The 28-year-old outfielder posted a .980 OPS over 132 plate appearances in the minors, however, which could be intriguing enough for another club to bring him in via waiver claim.
... See More... See Less
Athletics' JJ Bleday: Idle against southpaw
Rotowire
Bleday is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds.
The left-handed-hitting Bleday had started in each of the last three games, but he'll hit the bench Sunday while the Reds send southpaw Nick Lodolo to the bump. Bleday will cede his spot in the lineup to Colby Thomas, who will cover center field and bat fifth.
