Benson is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Pirates.
The 26-year-old has gone 12-for-34 with five homers in 10 games since being called up by Cincinnati on May 9, but he'll sit Tuesday against Pittsburgh lefty Bailey Falter. Benson should continue to see plenty of at-bats while filling the strong side of a platoon in right field with Jake Fraley (calf) sidelined.
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Reds' Will Benson: Rips two more homers
Rotowire
Benson went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Sunday's 3-1 win over Cleveland.
Benson stayed red hot Sunday and provided all of the Reds' offensive production in the victory. He's now gone deep five times over his past four games and is batting .423 with seven extra-base hits and 11 RBI since being recalled from Triple-A Louisville on May 9. The 26-year-old should continue to hold down a strong-side platoon role until Jake Fraley (calf) returns from the injured list.
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Reds' Will Benson: Homers in three straight
Rotowire
Benson started in left field and went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Guardians.
Benson erased an early Cleveland lead with a solo shot in the fifth inning, giving him homers in three consecutive games. He has five extra-base hits in seven games since being called up from Triple-A Louisville. Benson's played all three outfield positions for the Reds, who have coped with injuries at all three spots within the last week.
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Reds' Will Benson: Thriving since call-up
Rotowire
Benson started in right field and went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI in Friday's 5-4 win over the Guardians.
Benson took Tanner Bibee deep in the second inning with a three-run shot to put the Reds on the board early. It was his second straight game with a homer and three RBI. He's filling in for the injured Jake Fraley (calf) but is hitting like he could replace Fraley (.205 average, .678 OPS) as the lefty-hitting component in a right-field platoon. Since his call-up, Benson is 7-for-18 (.389) with two doubles, two homers, seven RBI, three walks, a steal and three runs scored over six contests.
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Reds' Will Benson: Three RBI in win
Rotowire
Benson went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a two-RBI single during Thursday's 7-1 win over the White Sox.
Benson has bounced back and forth between the MLB and Triple-A this season, but he's seen extended action recently as TJ Friedl (wrist) and Jake Fraley (calf) tend to injuries. Thursday's contest marked Benson's first big-league homer and first multi-hit game of the 2025 campaign. Since being called up Friday, Benson has gone 5-for-14 (.357) with three extra-base hits at the plate.
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Reds' Will Benson: Starts in center field
Rotowire
Benson started in center field and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a double in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the White Sox.
Benson started in place of the injured TJ Friedl, who was held out of the lineup with a wrist injury. Benson had been filling in for the injured Jake Fraley (calf) in right field and is 3-for-11 with two doubles, a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored over four games since returning to the majors. Assuming Friedl avoids joining Fraley on the injured list, Benson should soon shift back over to right field, where he'll likely occupy the strong side of a platoon with either Connor Joe or Rece Hinds.
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Reds' Will Benson: Uneven playing time
Rotowire
Benson is not in Tuesday's lineup against the White Sox.
Benson has started two of four games since getting recalled, and while he started Saturday and Sunday, he's sitting out the first game against Chicago, even with righty Jonathan Cannon on the bump. The righty-hitting Connor Joe is starting in right field and batting ninth.
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Reds' Will Benson: In lineup again
Rotowire
Benson started in right field and went 0-for-3 in Sunday's 6-0 loss to the Astros.
Benson made a second consecutive start in right field since being called up at the end of last week. The lefty-hitting outfielder is filling in for the injured Jake Fraley (calf) but may be limited to starting against right-handers. Benson is 1-for-7 with a double and an RBI during his second stint this season in the majors.
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Reds' Will Benson: Starts in right field
Rotowire
Benson started in right field and went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 13-9 win over the Astros.
Benson made his first start since being called up Friday. The lefty batter stepped in for the injured Jake Fraley (calf) and likely will see opportunities whenever the Reds face a right-handed pitcher. Benson and recent trade acquisition Connor Joe may platoon in right field while Fraley is unavailable.
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Reds' Will Benson: Recalled from Triple-A
Rotowire
The Reds recalled Benson from Triple-A Louisville on Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.
With Benson getting the promotion and Austin Hays (hamstring) returning from the injured list Friday, the Reds are turning over their outfield depth chart. Both Blake Dunn and Jacob Hurtubise were optioned to Triple-A to make room. Benson slashed .289/.377/.521 with seven home runs, 29 RBI, 26 runs scored and five stolen bases at Louisville.
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Reds' Will Benson: Back to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Reds optioned Benson to Triple-A Louisville on Saturday, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.
Benson was recalled by the Reds on Tuesday and started in left field against the Giants on Wednesday, when he struck out in all four at-bats. Benson will return to Triple-A as Cincinnati activates Andrew Abbott (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move.
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Reds' Will Benson: Makes first start after call-up
Rotowire
Benson started in left field and went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's 8-6 loss to San Francisco.
Benson struck out swinging four times -- three whiffs and one foul tip -- in his season debut after being called up from Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. He swung the bat well for the Bats, but Wednesday's effort was reminder of his struggles in 2024, when Benson struck out 39.7 percent of the time against major-league pitching.
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Reds' Will Benson: Joining big-league club
Rotowire
The Reds recalled Benson from Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old missed out on Cincinnati's Opening Day roster but will join the active roster with Carson Spiers being demoted and Matt McLain (hamstring) heading to the injured list. Benson had a .650 OPS in 128 games last season and will likely operate as a reserve outfielder.
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Reds' Will Benson: Relegated to Louisville
Rotowire
The Reds optioned Benson to Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.
Benson had a pretty underwhelming season with the Reds in 2024, slashing .187/.274/.376 with 14 homers, 43 RBI and 16 stolen bases over 128 games. He managed to bounce back during Cactus League play, posting an .853 OPS over 30 plate appearances, though 10 of those plate appearances ended in strikeouts. He'll head to Triple-A for now, though Benson could return to Cincinnati if he gets hot or outfield depth becomes an issue.
Benson was not part of Cincinnati's Opening Day roster projection compiled by C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.
Benson dropped off a cliff in 2024, posting a .187/.274/.376 line over 388 plate appearances, which puts an MLB job in jeopardy. There are still some moving parts before manager Terry Francona settles on a 26-man roster, so Benson to the minors is not a done deal. His eventual assignment hinges on the health of Spencer Steer (shoulder), and whether the manager has Gavin Lux stick mainly to infield duty.
Benson reworked his swing during the offseason, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Benson needed to do something to become a more competitive option for the outfield in 2025. He batted .187 (.180 expected average) with a 39.7 strikeout percentage last year. Benson managed to provide some value with 16 steals, though finding playing time may be harder in this season. The Reds recently added outfielder Austin Hays and plan to move Matt McLain to center field; it will be hard for Benson to carve out a regular role with such a crowded mix in the outfield.
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