Reds place Eugenio Suárez on 10-day injured list with oblique strain

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Reds placed designated hitter Eugenio Suárez on the 10-day injured list on Saturday, retroactive to April 23, with a mild left oblique strain.

“He was taking BP (on Friday) and he felt his side,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “He took his last swing and kind of felt it. He didn’t think it was anything. We went and got an MRI and he’s got a low-grade oblique. The hope is that after, possibly five or six days, if his symptoms are gone, we’ll get him imaged again.”

Suárez was scratched from the lineup for Friday night’s series opener with the Detroit Tigers. Nathaniel Lowe replaced Suárez as DH and homered twice in the game including a two-run, walk-off homer in the Reds’ 9-8 win.

Suárez, who signed a one-year, $15 million free-agent contract with the Reds in February, is batting .231 with three homers, three doubles and 11 RBIs in 25 games. Suárez spent eight seasons in Cincinnati before being traded to Seattle in 2022.

He was expected to add some punch to the middle of the Reds’ order along with rookie Sal Stewart and shortstop Elly De La Cruz.

Lowe is expected to fill the DH role, but the Reds have other options including outfielder JJ Bleday who was recalled from Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.

“I honestly don’t know if it’s going to be one guy,” Francona said. “There will probably be some mixing and matching, like day game after night game. We’ll see.”

In related moves on Saturday, the Reds optioned right-hander Kyle Nicolas and recalled right-hander Jose Franco from Triple-A.

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