Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl is back in center field and is batting cleanup on Monday against the Atlanta Braves and right-hander Charlie Morton at Truist Park for the series opener. Friedl left Saturday's game early against the New York Mets after he was experiencing shortness of breath. He sat out of the series finale on Sunday but is apparently feeling much better to begin a new week. Friedl has only faced Morton one time in his career and did not record a hit. The 29-year-old has only played in 68 games with the Reds in his fourth year in the big leagues in 2024 due to various ailments. In that short time, he's provided 11 home runs, 46 RBI and eight stolen bases while slashing .218/.300/.385 with a career-worst .685 OPS. Friedl has looked better in seven games in September, going 6-for-23 (.261) with a homer, double, six RBI and a steal.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (chest) will remain sidelined on Sunday as the Reds conclude a series with the New York Mets. Friedl left Saturday's game early after experiencing shortness of breath. As a precaution, he was taken to the hospital and thankfully nothing serious was detected. However, out of precautionary measures, the outfielder will take a seat on Sunday which will open up center field for Will Benson. Fantasy managers should pay attention to the 29-year-old's status ahead of the new week as he could miss a few more games. Benson is worth a look in DFS against the Mets as he will bat in the eight-hole and face Mets right-hander Luis Severino who enters Sunday with a 3.84 ERA.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl will head to the bench with a left-hander on the mound on Friday against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Stuart Fairchild will handle center-field duties and will bat sixth against Pirates left-hander Bailey Falter. Not only is Friedl hitless in 10 at-bats over his last three games, but he's hitting .233 (10-for-43) with only one of his 10 home runs on the season against southpaws. Fairchild is hitting .273 with two RBI in 11 career at-bats against Falter and has hit .278 (30-for-108) with five of his eight long balls in 2024 against lefties. Still, Fairchild is a relatively unimpressive low-upside DFS play with only eight home runs, 29 RBI and 13 steals on the year while hitting .218 in 206 total at-bats.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl went deep in Monday's series-opening win over the hosting Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, racking up three hits in the victory. Friedl drilled a solo home run off Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman to right field, tying the game at two runs apiece for Cincinnati in the fourth inning on Monday against Toronto. 2024 has been a stop-start season for the left-handed-hitting 29-year-old center fielder due to injuries, but he's heating up over his last 15 games, batting .302 (16-for-53) with five homers, 13 RBI, and eight runs scored for the Reds.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl went 2-for-4 with his seventh homer in Thursday's 10-4 win over the Miami Marlins. Friedl took Kyle Tyler deep in the first inning, then delivered a pair of RBIs later in the game on a single and a hit-by-pitch. He was a little slow to get back into things after his latest trip to the IL, but with homers in consecutive games, he looks like he might be back to form. Friedl had a terrific 2023, and although this season has been injury-plagued, he can still contribute a blend of power and speed that fantasy managers will want to have down the stretch, making him a solid waiver-wire option.

The Cincinnati Reds activated outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned outfield prospect Rece Hinds to Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Friedl will immediately start in center field on Friday against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays and right-hander Shane Baz while batting in the cleanup spot. The left-handed-hitting Friedl should take over the strong side of a platoon in center field in Cincinnati against right-handed pitchers now that he's healthy. The 28-year-old hasn't been able to get going in 2024 due to multiple injuries, and he'll return to a .216/.315/.361 slash line with four homers, 16 RBI and six stolen bases. However, fantasy managers can't ignore the fact that he's just a year removed from hitting 18 homers, driving in 66 and swiping 27 bags in 138 games in 2023.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) is set to join Triple-A Louisville on Sunday to begin a rehab assignment. The 28-year-old has been sidelined with a hamstring strain since June 24. Friedl has appeared in only 26 games this season due to several nagging injuries and has held a mediocre .216/.315/.361 line with four home runs, 16 RBI, and six stolen bases. Last summer, Friedl showcased his ability to be a strong five-category contributor with a .279 AVG, 18 home runs, and 27 stolen bases. The outfielder could return as soon as next weekend, depending on how well he does at Triple-A. Friedl will likely see a majority of the starts in center field in Cincinnati during the second half.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) is trending to return from the 10-day injured list in the first week to 10 days after next week's All-Star break. Friedl continues to work his way back from a right-hamstring strain. The 28-year-old was cleared to begin a running progression this week and will continue to ramp up during next week's All-Star break before likely going out on a short minor-league rehab assignment. The left-handed-hitting outfielder has had bad luck with injuries in 2024 and has only had 97 at-bats so far for the Reds, collecting 21 hits (.216 average) with just four home runs, 16 RBI and six stolen bases. Friedl should return to being at least on the strong side of a platoon in center field for the Reds against right-handed pitching, though.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) is set to start a running progression after a follow-up exam with a doctor went well on Monday. Friedl has been out for two weeks with a left-hamstring strain but has already resumed playing catch and hitting off a tee. As long as the 28-year-old outfielder doesn't suffer a setback as he progresses in his running progression, he could be ready to come off the 10-day injured list for the start of the second half of the season after the mid-July All-Star break. Friedl has had an injury-plagued campaign in 2024, as he's received just 97 at-bats, but he should return to seeing regular playing time in center field for Cincy against right-handed pitching when he's past his hamstring strain. He hasn't been able to get on track yet this year, hitting .216 (21-for-97) with four home runs, 16 RBI and six stolen bases.

The Cincinnati Reds placed outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Monday with a right-hamstring strain and selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Levi Jordan from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Friedl injured his right hamstring a week ago and missed two games before returning to the Reds' lineup over the weekend. However, the 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder aggravated the injury on Sunday and will now head to the injured list for the third time in 2024. When healthy, Friedl can be a weapon for the Reds and fantasy managers against right-handed pitching, but he just hasn't been able to stay healthy this year. Hopefully, he'll have a minimum stay on the IL. In the meantime, Stuart Fairchild will probably benefit the most from more playing time in center field.UPDATE: Manager David Bell said Friedl was playing at about 80-85 percent and is hoping he will be back in two to three weeks.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) is back in center field and is batting leadoff for the Reds on Friday against the visiting Boston Red Sox and right-hander Kutter Crawford. Friedl was removed from Monday's game with a tight hamstring and was held out the last two games as well. However, the left-handed-hitting 28-year-old outfielder is now ready to go this weekend and returns to the top spot in the batting order. He's already missed a lot of time due to injuries this year, which has made it difficult for him to get settled offensively. Friedl is currently hitting just .214 (18-for-84) with four home runs, 15 RBI and six stolen bases, but he has a good track record against right-handed pitching and could easily bounce back the rest of the year if he can stay on the field consistently. Friedl has never faced Crawford in his career.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (hamstring) remains out of the starting lineup for the series finale on Wednesday against the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates. Friedl was forced from the series opener on Monday due to a tight hamstring and will now miss his second straight game. The 28-year-old doesn't think it's a serious injury and should be considered day-to-day for now. But if Friedl isn't ready to go on Friday for the start of a series against the visiting Boston Red Sox after an off day on Thursday, he could quickly become a candidate to land on the injured list yet again. Stuart Fairchild is making another start in center field and will bat seventh against Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller on Wednesday. Friedl hits right-handers really well, but injuries have been the story of his season so far in 2024, and he's gone just 18-for-84 (.214) with four homers and six stolen bases.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl hit his third homer of the season in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. Each of Friedl's home runs has come in June, with Saturday's third-inning blast off Ben Brown being the go-ahead hit for the Reds. After hitting .161 in May, Friedl is hitting .307 over his last eight games and enters Sunday's series finale hitting .232/.368/.429 with 13 RBI, 10 runs scored, and five stolen bases. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on Friedl, who hit 18 homers with 27 stolen bases last season and can contribute in both categories now that his bat is warming up.

The Cincinnati Reds activated outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday and designated infielder Mike Ford for assignment in a corresponding move. Friedl recovered very quickly from a left-thumb fracture and is immediately back in center field and is batting leadoff for the Reds on Wednesday against the visiting division-rival St. Louis Cardinals and right-hander Andre Pallante. In nine career at-bats against Pallante, Friedl is hitting just .111. The 28-year-old left-handed swinger is also slashing just .182/.250/.227 with no home runs, two RBI and two stolen bases in only 22 at-bats in 2024 due to multiple unfortunate injuries he's already suffered this year. Friedl proved last year he has 20-20 ability over a full season, so he's worth rostering in most fantasy leagues now that he's back. His return is bad news for Stuart Fairchild.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) took live batting practice before Tuesday's matchup against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals. After taking swings against a high-velocity pitching machine on Monday, Friedl was also scheduled to run the bases and do some throwing on Tuesday. Manager David Bell has previously noted that Friedl could be reinstated from the injured list as soon as Wednesday's series finale against the Cardinals, and the outfielder looks to be making good progress from a fractured left thumb. It's been a stop-start season for the 28-year-old left-handed hitter, who missed a large chunk of time to begin the campaign due to injury and has gone just 4-for-22 (.182) with two RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases when healthy in six outings, but Friedl's power/speed potential with the ability to hit for average atop Cincinnati's lineup at a hitter-friendly ballpark offers him plenty of upside as a fantasy stash.

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) could return from the injured list as soon as later this week or early next week. Friedl has had pretty awful injury luck this year after also missing time with a fractured right wrist. But the 28-year-old has recovered very quickly from his thumb injury and should be back with the big-league club in short order. If he's going to return to Cincinnati this weekend, it will mean that he'll forego a minor-league rehab assignment. When healthy and on the major-league roster, Friedl should see regular playing time against right-handed pitchers, which is bad news for both Jake Fraley and Will Benson. Friedl has gone just 4-for-22 (.182) in six games this year but has plenty of fantasy value after hitting 18 homers, driving in 66 and stealing 27 bases in 2023.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) is back to hitting flips and continues to progress. He's working toward getting back to taking batting practice soon. Friedl suffered a fractured left thumb 11 days ago but is already swinging a bat and is progressing nicely. If the 28-year-old doesn't suffer a setback with his thumb once he starts to take batting practice, he should be sent on a minor-league rehab assignment shortly after that. Surprisingly, Friedl is on track to return from the 10-day injured list when he's eligible early next month. When healthy, Friedl should be a lineup regular, at least against right-handed pitching, after hitting 18 home runs, driving in 66 and stealing 27 bases in a breakout 2023 campaign. He's been unlucky with injuries so far in 2024, though, and is currently hitting .182 (4-for-22) with no homers, two RBI and two steals.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) is hoping to start swinging off a tee sometime this week. Friedl fractured his left thumb over a week ago but apparently is already getting close to swinging a bat again. It's remarkable progress for the 28-year-old, but the Reds could still choose to slow-play his rehab, and there's no current timetable for a return. When healthy, the former undrafted free agent is a regular in Cincy's lineup against right-handed pitching while batting from the left side. He's been extremely unfortunate with injuries in 2024, already fracturing his thumb and wrist, which has limited him to just 22 at-bats. Friedl has just four hits (no homers) in those 22 at-bats with two RBI and two stolen bases. He hit .279 with 18 homers, 66 RBI and 27 steals in 138 games in 2023, making him stash-worthy in at least deep-mixed fantasy leagues.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) has been placed on the 10-day injured list on Monday. Friedl underwent X-rays on Sunday, but they came back negative. Clearly, that wasn't the case as Friedl is set to miss time due to a fractured left field. This is a tough blow considering Friedl just returned from a stint on the injured list. Will Benson and the newly recalled Jacob Hurtubise figure to split up the playing time in the outfield.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl (thumb) was pulled out of Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants. The speedy outfielder was taken out after being hit in the hand by a pitch. Luckily, the X-rays came back clean and Friedl is only dealing with a left thumb contusion. The Reds might decide to hold him out for a few days depending on the pain and swelling. If he misses time, Jake Fraley and Stuart Fairchild would probably see more action in the outfield.