With his name finally back on a major league lineup card, Cincinnati Reds outfielder JJ Bleday didn’t need much time to sum up the moment.
“Just happy to be here,” Bleday told The Enquirer. “Just ready to be used in any way to help this team win.”
That opportunity arrived on Friday, April 24, when the Reds called up the former No. 4 overall draft pick (2019) after Eugenio Suárez was sent to the IL with an oblique injury.
On Sunday, April 26, Bleday will make his Reds’ debut in left field as the club looks for a sweep of the visiting Detroit Tigers at Great American Ball Park, the same venue where he hit his first MLB home run off of Luis Castillo in 2022 and had a career-high five hits with the Athletics in 2024.
It’s a return shaped as much by perseverance as performance for Bleday, who signed a one-year deal with the Reds in December. While Bleday’s path back to the big leagues was productive, it wasn’t without disappointment.
After a standout spring training where he hit .317 with four home runs in 15 games, Bleday was left off the Opening Day roster. The Reds sent him to Triple-A Louisville so he could play on a daily basis.
Rather than letting that frustration derail him, Bleday carried those adjustments to the minor leagues and forced the Reds’ hand when Suárez noticed an abdominal issue during batting practice ahead of the series opener against Detroit.
Bleday slashed .341/.462/.659 in 24 games with Louisville. He had 14 extra-base hits (including six homers) and 19 RBI.
“I thought I made a lot of good offseason adjustments this year compared to last,” Bleday said. “I carried that right into the regular season. It’s good to play every day… get those at-bats, get the consistency. It’s definitely easier to get in the rhythm.”
That rhythm showed in both the box scores and how he handled the situation. Louisville manager Pat Kelly relayed that message to Terry Francona when Bleday got the call.
“He (Kelly) was very complimentary,” Francona said. “He can certainly hit a fastball, which we’ve seen. He said he’s been a good baserunner, he’s been a good defender, and he’s been a really good teammate. That’s saying something when you’re disappointed. You like to see guys handle it like that.”
Bleday walked and lined out in his first two at-bats in Louisville’s matchup against the Iowa Cubs on Friday, April 24. He was set to lead off the sixth inning when Kelly relayed the news that he was headed to Cincinnati.
A quick round of congratulations, a flight from Des Moines to Chicago, then to Cincinnati and suddenly Bleday found himself dropped into a packed weekend of Hall of Fame festivities at Great American Ball Park.
“I kind of just forgot about it. Once I got here, I was like, ‘oh wow,'” Bleday said.
The whirlwind didn’t faze Bleday, who has over 400 career games and a 20-homer season under his belt. Now, he’s balancing a fresh start in Cincinnati with a continuation of what he built in Arizona and Louisville this spring.
“A mixture of both,” Bleday said. “Fresh start with a new team and back in the big leagues. It’s the same game. Just trust the approach, trust the swing and keep doing what I’m doing.”
The Reds would certainly welcome Bleday’s hot bat into a lineup that is finding its footing at the plate.
The Reds have averaged 5.9 runs over their last 10 games and have smashed Detroit pitching this weekend for a combined 18 runs on 21 hits.
Bleday had a front-row seat on Saturday, just hours after landing in Cincinnati, as four different Reds went deep to secure a series win.
“Last night was really electric and it was fun to be a part of that,” he said. “They’re playing really good baseball.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds’ JJ Bleday’s MLB return fueled by resilience and Triple-A surge
Reporting by Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
