Reds outfielder Blake Dunn is done for the year. Manager Terry Francona tells Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that Dunn will undergo elbow surgery on Monday. The full details of the procedure won’t be known until it happens but Dunn won’t come back this year. He is already on the 15-day injured list but can be moved to the 60-day IL whenever the Reds needs to open a 40-man roster spot.
Dunn, 27, was added to the Cincinnati roster in June of 2024. He has spent the past two-plus years as an up-and-down depth guy, getting frequently shuttled to Triple-A Louisville and back. He has appeared in 87 games and hit .232/.320/.338. He has nine stolen bases and strong defensive grades. In 546 1/3 innings across all three spots, he has been credited with seven Defensive Runs Saved and four Outs Above Average.
He is in his final option season and is slated to be out of options going into 2027. That could put pressure on his ability to hold a roster spot. The IL goes away five days after the World Series and doesn’t come back until pitchers and catchers report to spring training. For now, the Reds will proceed with an outfield consisting of JJ Bleday, Dane Myers, TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marté and Ivan Johnson. Some trades between now and the August 3 deadline could change the makeup of that group.
Photo courtesy of Sam Greene, Imagn Images
