Stephenson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Diamondbacks. Stephenson's ninth-inning home run was way too late for the Reds, which logged just three hits and lost its sixth consecutive contest. Cincinnati's middle-of-the-order bats have not produced of late, which has prompted manager David Bell to move Stephenson to cleanup in the three starts since he returned from a hand injury last week.
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Stephenson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Diamondbacks. Stephenson's ninth-inning home run was way too late for the Reds, which logged just three hits and lost its sixth consecutive contest. Cincinnati's middle-of-the-order bats have not produced of late, which has prompted manager David Bell to move Stephenson to cleanup in the three starts since he returned from a hand injury last week.
India went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to Arizona. India's seventh-inning homer was his second of the season. A two-week stretch during which he's batted .343 (12-for-35) has pushed his average to .222. That ranks third among qualified hitters on the team, which ranks last in MLB with a .207 average.
Friedl started in center field, batted leadoff and went 0-for-4 in Tuesday's 6-2 loss to the Diamondbacks. Friedl made his season debut Tuesday after opening the season on the injured list due to a wrist injury. He was unable to change the team's recent fortunes -- the Reds lost their sixth straight and have scored 10 runs during that stretch -- but that's a lot of pressure to put on any player returning from a wrist injury, which can be tricky. He'll return to his everyday role as Cincinnati's leadoff hitter and center fielder.
Montas (2-3) took the loss Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out seven. Montas wound up spending the minimum 15 days on the IL after he was struck by a line drive in his last start, resulting in a bruised forearm. The 31-year-old right-hander was sharp in his return, though he'd ultimately wind up with the loss as the Reds' offense couldn't break through against Zac Gallen. Montas now sports a 3.55 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB across his first six starts (25.1 innings) with Cincinnati. He's currently lined up for a road matchup with the Giants on Sunday in his next outing.
Martinez made his most recent appearance as a reliever in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Orioles, striking out two and allowing no hits and one walk over two scoreless innings. Martinez's prior two appearances came as a starter, but he moved back to the bullpen over the weekend in anticipation of Frankie Montas' (forearm) return to the rotation. With the Reds officially activating Montas from the 15-day injured list to start Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Martinez should stick in the bullpen moving forward until one of Cincinnati's five starters succumbs to another injury.
Candelario (shin) is starting at third base and batting eighth Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. The 30-year-old was scratched from Sunday's starting nine due to a left shin contusion but is good to go following Monday's team off day. Candelario's .634 OPS for the season remains unimpressive, but he's gone 6-for-18 with a double and a homer over his past five contests.
Gibaut (forearm) was moved to the 60-day injured list Tuesday. Gibaut was shut down from throwing late in April due to lingering issues with his strained right forearm and has now been put on the 60-day IL. He's consistently had his timetable for return pushed back after it was once believed he'd have a chance to be ready for Opening Day. He's still eligible to return in late May but may not be healthy by that point.
The Reds optioned Thompson to Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. Thompson has been on the Reds' roster since Opening Day but has hardly played, accumulating just 18 plate appearances. He should receive more reps at Louisville.