Reds Infielder Juan Brito to Start at New Position on Wednesday Night vs. Dodgers
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Reds Infielder Juan Brito to Start at New Position on Wednesday Night vs. Dodgers
Sep 14, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Juan Brito (46) throws to first to get Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Tommy Edman (not pictured) out in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Tim Daniel·Cincinnati Reds On SI
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3 min read
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As theCincinnati Redsseason pushes toward the finish line, their band-aid strategy of playing an infielder in the outfield continues on Wednesday night. Juan Brito, a career middle infielder so far in his short MLB career, will start in right field for the Reds against theLos Angeles Dodgers.
You're probably wondering whether Brito has any outfield experience in his professional career. He does, but it's not exactly recent. During his time in theCleveland Guardiansorganization, Brito played 19 games in right field, all in 2024. He did play one game in right field in 2025 for the Guardians rookie ball team. He has 161 total career innings in the outfield, with a dismal 94 fielding percentage. So what do the Reds do? Of course, they say, "Throw him out there and see what happens!"
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A Questionable Decision
Sep 14, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Juan Brito (46) throws to first to get Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Tommy Edman (not pictured) out in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
We've all heard the term shortstops are the best athletes, so you can play them anywhere on the diamond. While I'm not doubting Juan Brito's athleticism, and he has been productive since the Reds called him up after acquiring him at the trade deadline, this has the risk of being yet another disastrous decision by the Reds' front office and coaching staff.
Instead of making the effort to go get players who actually play the position of need, they go the corner-cutting route of sticking players into positions they haven't shown comfort playing for a consistent amount of time.
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We've Seen This Before...
Aug 5, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Noelvi Marte scores a run on a single by catcher Jose Trevino during the game against the Athletics in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Noelvi Martehas been the biggest name the Reds have tried this with. Despite moments to be excited about, he hasn't quite become the outfielder the team has anticipated him to be. His ability to hit has also been inconsistent, as the Reds sent Marte down to AAA recently for the second time this season.
Earlier in the summer, the Reds tried to playMatt McLainin center field, citing his experience playing the position in college at UCLA and in the Arizona Fall League. McLain lasted just 15 innings in center field across three games before the Reds decided to keep him at second base, where he has been consistently making plays throughout the season.
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Obviously, this season is over; the Reds are mathematically eliminated from contention, and while the conversation is about righting the ship for the future, nothing in the team's recent history shows moves like this will help them achieve their goals. If they're going to have Brito try this, now is as good a time as ever due to nothing being at stake for the Reds, but at some point they really need to bite the bullet and use outfielders to play the outfield. I know, it's a wild concept.
