Cincinnati Reds prepare for return of top talent after PED suspension

After being suspended in spring training for failing a PED test, Cincinnati Reds top infielder Noelvi Marte is preparing to return.

The Reds have played 66 games this season, meaning Marte has 14 major league games left on his 80-game suspension. The team has sent him to Triple-A Louisville to begin a rehab program.

Marte’s suspension came as a shock to the baseball world this spring, as he was supposed to be one of the young cornerstones of the Reds’ roster. Instead, he will have missed the first half of the season and will also be ineligible for the postseason should the Reds make it there.

Now the hope is that Marte can be productive upon his return and help the 32-34 Reds get back into the National League playoff race. It remains to be seen how he will be used by manager David Bell upon his return and how he will be viewed by his teammates.

Marte made his major league debut in 2023. He played in 35 games for the Reds and had a .316 batting average with three home runs, 15 RBI and six stolen bases.

Because he has not played enough games to fall off the list of MLB’s top 100 prospects, he begins the year as the No. 28 prospect in all of baseball (No. 2 in the organization).

The following is from part of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Only 22 years old for the full 2024 season, Marte is still a bit fickle as a player, but he made strides last season to become a more consistent offensive player. The Reds asked him to make better swing decisions when he came to Triple-A, and he showed more aptitude for adjustments, leading to his call-up to the major leagues. He never had many strikeouts in the minors and continued to draw walks, which will help him better utilize his considerable raw power. It still shows up primarily on his pull side, but he has shown he has the acumen to drive the ball to all fields.

Marte is, by and large, an above-average runner who can steal a base here and there, but he has reached elite-level sprint speeds in his major league debut.

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