The Cincinnati Reds had a golden opportunity, and they let it slip. When the team announced Friday’s starting lineup against the St. Louis Cardinals, top prospect Sal Stewart’s name was noticeably absent. Fans have been clamoring for weeks to see Stewart make his long-awaited big league debut, but that wait will stretch at least another day — and possibly much longer.
To make matters worse, the Reds slotted Santiago Espinal at second base, the very position Stewart has manned the past two games in the minors. Espinal has struggled badly this season, slashing just .244/.295/.285 with a 59 wRC+, making his continued presence in the lineup all the more frustrating.
Meanwhile, Stewart has been tearing it up at Triple-A. Since joining the Louisville Bats last month, the former first-round pick has been the hottest bat in the organization, blasting 10 home runs and posting an impressive .313/.397/.642 line across 36 games.
Reds humiliate their fanbase — keep Sal Stewart in the minors and put Santiago Espinal in the starting lineup
Many Reds fans were already upset when the team chose not to promote Sal Stewart before embarking on their recent 10-day road trip. Still, it’s understandable why the organization may have hesitated — asking a young, untested prospect to handle an unfamiliar position on a demanding West Coast swing, all while the team is in the thick of a playoff race, is hardly an ideal debut scenario.
However, the current nine-game homestand seemed like the perfect opportunity. The Reds are set to face a left-handed starter Friday night, and Stewart has absolutely mashed southpaws at Triple-A this year with a .344/.476/.719 line. Meanwhile, Santiago Espinal and Matt McLain are both slumping badly. Espinal has managed just a .083 average in his last seven games, while McLain is hitting .160/.214/.160 over his past 10.
Given the circumstances, it’s fair to wonder if Stewart will even get a September call-up — a promotion his performance certainly merits. With the Reds’ lineup lacking punch in recent weeks, fans are unlikely to take kindly to the front office’s decision to keep him waiting.
