LOS ANGELES – A whole lot of power is back in the Great American Ball Park.
After a strained oblique landed infielder Noelvi Marte on the 10-day IL, the Cincinnati Reds recalled outfielder Rece Hinds to their active roster, making it his first time in the bigs this season. He’s appeared in four games so far, going deep in his second game of the season in the top of the 9th inning against the Braves.
Hinds is 2-for-10 on the year, with a .873 OPS and two RBI. Hinds didn’t start in the Reds’ most recent game on Tuesday night.
He made his major league debut back in July of 2024, hitting a home run in his first ever game, and the second longest home run by a debuting player in the statcast era at 449 feet. He hit five home runs over his first six games, earning him NL player of the week honors during that time.
Rece Hinds Got Drafted Out Of High School
The 24-year-old was born and raised in Niceville, Florida, going to Niceville High and IMG Academy during his scholastic career. He never went to college, as he was drafted with the 49th pick in the 2019 MLB draft by the Reds. From 2019-2024, Hinds slowly but surely made his way up the minor league ranks. In 2021, he ended up tearing his meniscus, and because of it, the organization decided to make a change in position. He was originally drafted as a third baseman, before fully making the switch to the outfield.
“He has had problems with his legs for whatever reason in the infield. He’s an offensive guy first, he’s a great athlete and the more we can get him on the field, he can use his speed, his athleticism and his power,” Reds farm director Shawn Pender said when the decision was announced.
Can Hinds Stick On Cincinnati Reds Roster This Season?
He spent the 2023 season back in Double A and 2024 in Triple A. Now, Hinds is looking to make that next step and be a permanent addition to the Reds roster that needs a spark to get out of their sub-.500 record.
The one big aspect that Hinds brings to the Reds offensively is his power. He has 14 career hits, and six of those hits are home runs. He has a .600 slugging percentage, which is one and a half times higher than the team average this season at .377. The Reds rank 19th in slugging and 14th in home runs hit, so keeping Hinds on the active roster will definitely improve those numbers.
The Reds are 20-22 to start the season, four games back of the division leading Cubs. The organization and fans are desperate to see their club back in postseason baseball, as the team hasn’t won a postseason game since 2012. If Hinds can play his way onto a permanent part of the team, their hitting numbers should improve, which would help get the team one step closer to playing baseball in October
