Struggling Cincinnati Reds outfielder Noelvi Marte was optioned back to Triple-A Louisville after this week’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Marte, who has been a subpar fielder and .189 hitter this season, was just 4-for-30 (.133) with four singles and 10 strikeouts in 12 games played this month.
“I asked him how he thought it was going, and he said, ‘Not very well,’ ” manager Terry Francona said. “And I said, ‘OK, this is kind of a pivotal time for you.’ I said, ‘You’ve got to play with some urgency and get after it (at Louisville).’
“I didn’t say ‘flip a switch.’ ” Francona added. “I said, ‘Play with some urgency. Be the first one out there. Don’t be the last one out there. Take charge in the outfield.’ Things like that.”
It’a the second minor-league demotion this season for Marte, who was acquired from Seattle in the Luis Castillo trade in 2022 before making an impressive six-week debut the following summer.
“He has all the tools to be an everyday player,” Francona said. “Saying that, when you’re playing every day you’ve got to find a way to help your team win. And it’s not just getting hits. It’s playing the position. It’s being accountable for so many different things. And he was just having a tough time, by his own admission.”
The Reds recalled catcher Will Banfield from Louisville to take Marte’s spot on the active roster.
Banfield, who made a seven-game big-league debut last season, was hitting .262 with 11 home runs in 79 games for Louisville this season.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds demote Noelvi Marte to minors, call up Will Banfield
Reporting by Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Gordon Wittenmyer, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
