Cincinnati Reds DFA Will Benson, Hunter Greene Returns From IL; MLB Roster News Breakdown Highlights

Nick Kirby and Craig Sandlin discuss the news of Will Benson being designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds to make room on the 40-man roster for Hunter Greene coming back from the 60-Day IL. -------------------- The Cincinnati Reds enter one of the most important stretches of their 2026 season searching for consistency while welcoming back the biggest reinforcement they could have hoped for. After dropping the series opener to the Baltimore Orioles 3-0 on Friday night, the Reds have now lost five of their last six games and continue to fight an uphill battle in the National League Wild Card race. Cincinnati's offense once again struggled to capitalize on opportunities, finishing 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position while leaving 10 men on base. The Reds managed just four singles in the loss and were shut out for the seventh time this season. Despite the recent slide, there is renewed optimism around the club because ace Hunter Greene is officially back. Greene is scheduled to make his 2026 season debut Saturday night after missing the first three months of the year following elbow surgery to remove bone chips. The right-hander completed a dominant rehab assignment, allowing zero earned runs over 14.1 innings while striking out 13 hitters. His final outing with Triple-A Louisville may have been his most encouraging, as he threw 6.1 scoreless innings while reaching triple digits with his fastball. Reds manager Terry Francona said Greene will return without any pitch restrictions, a sign the organization believes he is fully healthy. Greene's return could not come at a better time. The Reds have received outstanding production from rookie Chase Burns, who has quickly emerged as one of baseball's best young starters. Burns owns a 10-1 record with a 2.40 ERA and has struck out 116 batters in fewer than 100 innings, giving Cincinnati a legitimate frontline starter every fifth day. Adding Greene alongside Burns immediately changes the outlook of the rotation for the second half of the season. While the pitching staff is getting healthier, the offense remains the biggest question. Elly De La Cruz continues to be the catalyst at the top of the lineup. The 24-year-old recently became the youngest Reds player since 1900 to reach 150 career stolen bases and now leads the club with 12 steals this season. His ability to impact games with both his speed and power remains one of the biggest reasons Cincinnati believes a second-half run is still possible. Sal Stewart has also established himself as one of the Reds' most productive hitters. The rookie first baseman leads the club with 17 home runs and 60 RBIs while continuing to provide consistent production in the middle of the order. His emergence has been one of the biggest success stories of the season and has helped stabilize a lineup that has battled inconsistency for much of the year. Veterans such as Spencer Steer, JJ Bleday and Eugenio Suárez have all shown flashes offensively, but the Reds have struggled to string together quality at-bats consistently. Friday's loss was another example, as Cincinnati drew five walks but could never deliver the timely hit needed to erase an early deficit. The schedule also becomes significantly more difficult over the next week. Following this weekend's series against Baltimore, the Reds remain home for matchups against the Phillies and Cubs before the All-Star break. Those games could ultimately determine whether Cincinnati enters the trade deadline buying, selling or attempting to thread the needle somewhere in between. The encouraging news is that the Reds are finally getting healthy. Greene's return gives the rotation another frontline arm, while the bullpen has generally performed well despite the club's recent struggles. Cincinnati also continues to receive valuable contributions from several young players, giving the organization reason to believe the current core can compete if it catches fire offensively. There is little margin for error, however. The Reds have spent much of the season hovering around .500, unable to build sustained momentum. A strong homestand could quickly put them back into the postseason conversation, while another difficult week would make the climb substantially steeper heading into the second half. Everything starts Saturday night with Hunter Greene. After months of rehab, setbacks and anticipation, the Reds will finally have their ace back on the mound. If Greene returns to the form that made him an All-Star and Chase Burns continues his breakout campaign, Cincinnati suddenly has one of the most intriguing one-two punches in the National League. Now the challenge becomes providing enough offense to make that pitching advantage count.