Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona's future is drawing attention as the front office looks ahead to next season. Francona has one guaranteed year left on his original three-year contract, plus a club option for 2028. Team president Nick Krall said he doesn't think it is a lame-duck status for someone like Francona. Francona said he values the people around him and feels stronger about them after being there for a while. He said the Reds would be hard pressed to find a better fit for what they are trying to do. Francona earned his 2,103rd managerial win when the Reds beat the Brewers 4-3 on Sunday, Sept. 13.

#year #cincinnati #nick #sunday

After suffering a slight strain to his left quad, Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz was in the designated hitter spot for the entire series against the San Diego Padres.
"He has done a really good job," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "(On Tuesday, Sept. 1), he (ran) first to third. He kept his head up, knew where the ball was. He had a pretty good governor. He knew where he was going. He handled it pretty good."
The Reds have been keeping an eye on De La Cruz, and he doesn't always have to run at his very top speed as a way to protect his quad.
"(The doctor) thinks Elly can play through this with the caveat that if it gets worse, he's got to let us know," Francona said. "He has promised he'll do that."
De La Cruz was pulled from the game last Sunday against the Chicago Cubs. "Me and Freddie (Benavides) kind of double-teamed him about coming out," Francona said.

#cruz #pretty

After a gutsy 100-pitch primetime effort at Wrigley Field on Sunday, Aug. 30, Chase Burns will be put on an innings limit over the final month of the regular season, Reds manager Terry Francona said.
Burns, the Reds' first 15-game winner since Luis Castillo in 2019, will pitch next on Monday, Sept. 7, when the team continues its end-of-the-season gauntlet against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Brandon Williamson, who has not pitched since April 29, will return from shoulder fatigue and start the Reds' series finale against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, Sept. 2, Francona said. Williamson is 2-3 with a 6.11 ERA over six starts this season.
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#williamson

As Reds star pitcher Chase Burns approached the 100-pitch mark during the sixth inning of his win against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Reds ****** yst Jeff Brantley said during NBC's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast that Burns was making his final "real start" of the 2026 season.
"You have to take into consideration this is his last real start of 2026," Brantley said. "Because after this, it is going to be kid gloves and short, maybe three-inning stints, and that's it. And even in this spot ... (Francona) has really not let him get into a situation where he is having to go to the extra part of the tank right around that 100-pitch mark. Because you're looking at an injury situation, and you just don't want that to happen."
"Everybody in that Reds' dugout knew this was the last real start for Chase Burns," Brantley added as Burns left the game. "In front of a packed house on Sunday Night Baseball, just gettin' it."

#night

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Michael Toglia will undergo season-ending surgery Tuesday on his right shoulder after he was injured Friday making a diving catch against Arizona.
Manager Terry Francona made the announcement Monday before the opener of a three-game series at San Francisco. Team orthopedist Dr. Tim Kremchek will perform the surgery to repair a torn labrum and Toglia will do his rehabilitation in San Diego to be close to family, Francona said.
The switch-hitting Toglia suffered a dislocated shoulder on the play in the first inning of the 9-0 loss at Chase Field when, playing left field, he caught the ball by Geraldo Perdomo.
"That kid, he swore he was going to play. I saw him in the training room the next day, he was trying to do stuff," Francona said. "That's pretty amazing to me."
Toglia was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday, a move retroactive to Saturday. The 28-year-old Toglia batted .115 with an RBI over 10 games with eight starts. He was a top prospect with Colorado after the Rockies selected him 23rd overall in the first round of the 2019 draft out of UCLA.

#first

The mood in the home clubhouse was upbeat a day after a trade deadline in which few teams showed interest in the bevy of available Cincinnati Reds players.
There seemed to be a resolve among a group of guys who generally like each other, an attitude of embracing the underdog role to try to make a run down the stretch. Some players seemed open to the suggestion that they could use the fact no serious playoff contenders wanted them as a motivating factor.
"A lot of guys love playing here and have been wanting to stay," Reds outfielder JJ Bleday said. "Whether teams were interested or not, we've still got to show up at 7 o'clock ready to go."
More: How Reds' Tyler Stephenson passed time during stressful trade deadline
Manager Terry Francona told reporters: "I don't care what makes them play better. But I don't know why they'd have a chip on their shoulder, because they know they're wanted. I think they're happy to be here. … That's the last thing you want is somebody to stay here and say, 'I wanted to go somewhere else.' "

#reds #trade #seemed #guys

The mood in the home clubhouse was upbeat a day after a trade deadline in which few teams showed interest in the bevy of available Cincinnati Reds players.
There seemed to be a resolve among a group of guys who generally like each other, an attitude of embracing the underdog role to try to make a run down the stretch. Some players seemed open to the suggestion that they could use the fact no serious playoff contenders wanted them as a motivating factor.
"A lot of guys love playing here and have been wanting to stay," Reds outfielder JJ Bleday said. "Whether teams were interested or not, we've still got to show up at 7 o'clock ready to go."
More: How Reds' Tyler Stephenson passed time during stressful trade deadline
Manager Terry Francona told reporters: "I don't care what makes them play better. But I don't know why they'd have a chip on their shoulder, because they know they're wanted. I think they're happy to be here. … That's the last thing you want is somebody to stay here and say, 'I wanted to go somewhere else.' "

#wanted

Don't believe the media. Don't believe the front office.
If anyone in Cincinnati Reds Nation was wondering about manager Terry Francona's standing within the organization during a fraught season that still had the Reds in last place the day after the MLB trade deadline, look no further than the postgame interview room after the Reds' win over the A's in this week's series opener.
Reds owner Bob Castellini walked through the room on his way out of the clubhouse, along with two especially burly members of his posse, apparently unaware Francona was in the middle of a live media session, specifically extolling the leadership virtues of Brady Singer.
Castellini gave a thumbs up as he surveyed the room, then stopped.
"There is a leader," he said without missing a beat, gesturing in Francona's direction. "And a winner.

#believe

Don't believe the media. Don't believe the front office.
If anyone in Cincinnati Reds Nation was wondering about manager Terry Francona's standing within the organization during a fraught season that still had the Reds in last place the day after the MLB trade deadline, look no further than the postgame interview room after the Reds' win over the A's in this week's series opener.
Reds owner Bob Castellini walked through the room on his way out of the clubhouse, along with two especially burly members of his posse, apparently unaware Francona was in the middle of a live media session, specifically extolling the leadership virtues of Brady Singer.
Castellini gave a thumbs up as he surveyed the room, then stopped.
"There is a leader," he said without missing a beat, gesturing in Francona's direction. "And a winner.

#nation #francona

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona only had one criticism of the bobblehead likeness of him being handed to fans at Great American Ball Park.
The Francona bobblehead giveaway Aug. 1 marked the second bobblehead produced by the Reds organization, but the first distributed at a home game. A 2025 Francona bobblehead was presented to fans who donated at a certain level to the Reds Community Fund.
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The 2026 Francona bobblehead features a manual, four-digit tally counter that allows fans to keep up with the future-Hall-of-Fame manager's career wins, a number that stood at 2,085 entering play Aug. 1 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

#francona #pirates

SEATTLE — On paper, the move made plenty of sense.
The Cincinnati Reds trailed the Seattle Mariners 3-0 in the seventh inning and were on the verge of watching their deficit grow. The Mariners had runners at second and third, so Reds manager Terry Francona ordered lefty Caleb Ferguson to intentionally walk Dominic Canzone to load the bases.
That brought up Cal Raleigh, last year's AL MVP runner-up. The slumping catcher is hitting just .163 this season, but he pounced on the first pitch and turned on a hanging breaking ball, sending it 408 feet into the left-field bleachers to break open the game in an 8-0 victory.
Francona stood by his decision, and said he would make the same one again every time.
"I know what Raleigh's hitting and, he still worries me," the veteran skipper said with a laugh. "But, I thought that was our best chance to have them not score. We could play the infield double-play depth. And, the worst possible outcome happened."

#Seattle #francona #hitting

June 30 (UPI) -- Cincinnati Reds outfielder Dane Myers returned negative X-ray results after crashing into an outfield wall, manager Terry Francona announced.
Francona provided an update on Myers' status Monday night. The Reds outfielder was injured when he made an acrobatic catch in the fourth inning of a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday in Milwaukee.
Myers was X-rayed for broken bones at American Family Field. The Reds then opted to have him examined out by off-site doctors.
"We sent him to the hospital because he was in so much pain and so uncomfortable," Francona said. "The kid was really hurting and it wasn't going away. They want to check for a lot of things. You saw how violent it was, and he was really in pain."
Francona did not specify where Myers was injured, but cited potential issues with his shoulder, neck and head. He also said he wasn't sure Myers "really knew where he was" as he appeared dazed after the collision.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — X-rays were inconclusive on Eugenio Suárez's left hand after he was hit by a pitch and forced to leave the Cincinnati Reds' 9-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
Manager Terry Francona said Suárez will have a CT scan on Monday after traveling with the team to Milwaukee for the start of a four-game series against the Brewers.
“Right now, it’s very swollen. So, the X-ray doesn’t say anything because it’s too swollen,” Suárez said. “We’ll see what is in there. Right now, obviously, I feel a lot better than when I got hit. I thought he hit me really good. Was painful, but right now, I feel a lot better. So, I pray to God for nothing to come up.”
Suárez was hit by a 92.4 mph fastball from Mitch Keller with two outs in the sixth inning. The designated hitter was checked by Francona before slowly making his way to first base. Nathaniel Lowe came in for Suárez's next at bat in the eighth.
“It swelled up really rapidly,” Francona said. “The trainers' hope was that maybe it hit a blood vessel. ... He's very tender. So, we'll get more information tomorrow.”

Jun. 23—When the Cincinnati Reds were in their roughest stretches this season — in early May and in early June — the pitching staff was at its thinnest, and the depth was at shallow points.
Now, the pitching staff is continuing to get deeper with more reinforcements on the way.
On Monday, June 22, the Reds activated reliever Pierce Johnson from the injured list. He had been out for a few weeks with a elbow inflammation, and he gives the bullpen an important veteran/right-handed presence.
He's a veteran arm who has done it, been there and throws strikes," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "When there's a known commodity, it helps.
The Reds' bullpen has had to be very reliant on veteran lefties Sam Moll, Brock Burke and Caleb Ferguson. As a result, in situations where the Reds needed a right-hander, Francona had to throw inexperienced pitchers like Chase Petty, Zach Maxwell or Luis Mey into a big spot in the game.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz could go on a rehab ******* ignment this weekend if the next couple of days go according to plan.
De La Cruz — who has been sidelined since June 1 due to a right hamstring strain — ran the bases and took some infield grounders before Monday night's game against the New York Mets. He will run the bases again on Tuesday before a final decision is made.
Manager Terry Francona said the likely rehab ******* ignment would be to Triple-A Louisville, which is at Gwinnett this week. The Reds' Single-A affiliate in Dayton is also on the road this week.
“I mean Triple-A is always probably the best because of competition, but trying to work through just what’s the easiest,” Francona said.
De La Cruz left the May 31 game against the Atlanta Braves with right hamstring tightness after he had a base hit in the fifth inning. He had a streak of appearing in 276 consecutive games snapped, the sixth-longest streak for a Reds player in the expansion era (since 1961). His streak began on July 30, 2024.

ST. LOUIS – The Cincinnati Reds’ top pitcher and best hitter both appear to be ahead of schedule in rehab work to get back from the injured list.
Whether either can make it back in time to make a major difference for a swooning playoff hopeful, Elly De La Cruz, for one, has been spotted regularly taking his glove with him before games as if he’s playing.
“When I came in (Friday) he had his glove on. I think he was throwing the ball against the wall or something,” said manager Terry Francona, whose All-Star shortstop has been aggressive with upper body work and such baseball activities as taking grounders from his knees since landing on the IL with a hamstring injury a week ago.
De La Cruz hasn’t pushed the hamstring aggressively in supervised running yet, but he’s shown enough progress that his scheduled followup MRI has been moved up from June 15 to June 12, at which point the medical staff is to determine how much he can ramp up activity.
De La Cruz was diagnosed with a strain that Francona characterized as between Grade 1 and 2 in severity.

ST. LOUIS – The Cincinnati Reds’ top pitcher and best hitter both appear to be ahead of schedule in rehab work to get back from the injured list.
Whether either can make it back in time to make a major difference for a swooning playoff hopeful, Elly De La Cruz, for one, has been spotted regularly taking his glove with him before games as if he’s playing.
“When I came in (Friday) he had his glove on. I think he was throwing the ball against the wall or something,” said manager Terry Francona, whose All-Star shortstop has been aggressive with upper body work and such baseball activities as taking grounders from his knees since landing on the IL with a hamstring injury a week ago.
De La Cruz hasn’t pushed the hamstring aggressively in supervised running yet, but he’s shown enough progress that his scheduled followup MRI has been moved up from June 15 to June 12, at which point the medical staff is to determine how much he can ramp up activity.
De La Cruz was diagnosed with a strain that Francona characterized as between Grade 1 and 2 in severity.

ST. LOUIS – The Cincinnati Reds started the first day of their road trip without a pitching coach. They started the second inning without their manager.
A 10-3 loss to the Cardinals in the opener of their weekend series in St. Louis, dropped the Reds to 2-11 in division play this season – before they’ve played a game against first-place Milwaukee.
And they started to look like a team that couldn’t get out of its own way by the time they reached the sixth inning of a six-game road trip that will take them to San Diego next – and to the brink of getting buried in the division by midseason if the bats and bullpen keep looking like this.
The team that finished April in first place and in command of the National League Central has fallen like a rock since, with slumping lineup and one of the worst-performing, beat-up bullpens in the majors leading the race to the bottom.
Errors by rookie shortstop Edwin Arroyo and rookie first baseman Sal Stewart in the bottom of the first inning cost the Reds two unearned runs and most of a 3-0 lead – and cost the manager for the rest of the game when Terry Francona was ejected after an unsuccessful replay challenge.

ST. LOUIS – The Cincinnati Reds started the first day of their road trip without a pitching coach. They started the second inning without their manager.
A 10-3 loss to the Cardinals in the opener of their weekend series in St. Louis, dropped the Reds to 2-11 in division play this season – before they’ve played a game against first-place Milwaukee.
And they started to look like a team that couldn’t get out of its own way by the time they reached the sixth inning of a six-game road trip that will take them to San Diego next – and to the brink of getting buried in the division by midseason if the bats and bullpen keep looking like this.
The team that finished April in first place and in command of the National League Central has fallen like a rock since, with slumping lineup and one of the worst-performing, beat-up bullpens in the majors leading the race to the bottom.
Errors by rookie shortstop Edwin Arroyo and rookie first baseman Sal Stewart in the bottom of the first inning cost the Reds two unearned runs and most of a 3-0 lead – and cost the manager for the rest of the game when Terry Francona was ejected after an unsuccessful replay challenge.

I feel for Tony Santillan at the moment. He’s been such a vital part of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen, when healthy, for several years now, but it’s undeniable that he’s been struggling for weeks now to no avail.
Problem is, the more he struggles, the more that’s still being asked of him. Simultaneous with his foibles have come the injuries to Emilio Pagan, Pierce Johnson, and Graham Ashcraft, as well as the latest derailment of Connor Phillips. In other words, opportunities keep falling on his lap based on his reputation at a time when he, like so many relievers before him, needed just a bit more time to work things out.
The Cincinnati Reds have been worse for it, sadly. There just aren’t enough other good options down there to whom Terry Francona can turn.
Cincinnati clawed their way back to a 2-2 tie against the Kansas City Royals thanks to a late 2-run homer by Blake Dunn, a swing that leveled the score after Chase Burns turned in yet another stellar start (6.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 K). The problem, though, is that the more that was asked of Cincinnati’s beleaguered bullpen, the worse things got.
I hate to pile on Santillan here, but the facts are what they are now. In 23.0 IP this season, he’s pitched to a 6.65 ERA while yielding an impossible nine homers in that time. Seven of those dingers have come since May 5th alone. Yet here the Reds were in the 9th inning of a game against a club that was just 23-38 on the season coming in with Santillan on the mound with the game on the line, and things once again simply collapsed in real time.