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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JULY 22: Sal Stewart #27 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrates his three-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park on July 22, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The Cincinnati Reds enter Friday night’s series against the Miami Marlins coming off a two-out-of-three series victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Ahead of the matchup, Reds manager Terry Francona made a notable lineup change involving rookie sensation Sal Stewart, who has spent most of his time this season at first base.
Reds Announce Stewart Change
Stewart will get the night off from playing first base and instead start at third, another position he’s played several times this season.
Recently called-up Michael Toglia will start at first in Stewart’s place, while Eugenio Suárez will serve as the team’s designated hitter. Ke’Bryan Hayes will get the night off.
Francona will bat Stewart second behind shortstop Elly De La Cruz, and the combination has worked well for Cincinnati since he made the switch.
Reds 8/14
E. De La Cruz SS
S. Stewart 3B
J. Bleday LF
T. Stephenson C
E. Suárez DH
M. Toglia 1B
D. Myers CF
N. Marte RF
M. McLain 2B
C. Burns SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 14, 2026
Stewart’s Rookie Numbers
Stewart has put together a historic rookie season with the Reds, earning an All-Star selection and emerging as one of the most productive players in Cincinnati’s lineup all season.
He’s currently batting .271 across 120 games and 456 at-bats, recording 118 hits, 26 home runs and 89 RBIs while slugging .480 with a .817 OPS.
Looking at the Reds
Cincinnati enters Friday night with a 58-62 record and is essentially out of the NL Central race, sitting 16.0 games back of first place.
However, the Reds still have some glimmer of hope in the Wild Card race, where they sit 5.5 games back.
After their weekend series against Miami, Cincinnati will play five consecutive games against the St. Louis Cardinals. One of those games will make up an earlier postponement, resulting in a doubleheader on Monday.
Cole Sullivan Cole Sullivan is a sports journalist for Heavy.com covering the NFL, NBA, college football, and college basketball. A member of the United States Basketball Writers Association, he has written for FanSided, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, and Newsweek. Sullivan earned an Associate degree from Franklin Pierce University and a Bachelor’s degree from Lynn University, where he studied Communications and Media Studies with a focus on Sports Journalism. More about Cole Sullivan