Will Benson
OF CIN
Wed 5/8/24 3:45 PM

Benson is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
EDGE Analysis
Benson and fellow lefty hitter Jake Fraley will head to the bench Wednesday while southpaw Jordan Montgomery toes the slab for Arizona. Stuart Fairchild and Luke Maile will join the lineup as the starters in right field and designated hitter, respectively, while Benson and Fraley sit.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Sun 4/28/24 9:40 AM

Benson went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Saturday's 8-4 win over the Rangers.
EDGE Analysis
Benson homered and donned the celebratory Viking helmet for the fourth time this season. He's scuffled since the middle of the month and entered Saturday's contest on a 3-for-32 (.094) stretch. Despite the struggles, Benson was recently elevated to leadoff against right-handers, but it's unclear if the experiment will continue. The lefty-hitting outfielder is 4-for-21 (.190) with a .227 on-base percentage in five games as the leadoff hitter.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Thu 4/25/24 7:57 AM

Benson went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Wednesday's 7-4 win over Philadelphia.
EDGE Analysis
Benson put the Reds on the board with a solo home run in the third inning off righty Spencer Turnbull, but his biggest hit came three innings later. The lefty hitter delivered the go-ahead run with two outs off lefty Matt Strahm. Benson was a platoon player in 2023 but is getting more opportunities against southpaws this season. It's not always pretty -- 4-for-22 off them thus far -- but manager David Bell let him stay in the game at a high-leverage moment. Benson, who snapped a career-worst 0-for-18 skid in Tuesday's win over the Phillies, is 3-for-9 in the series heading into the finale Thursday afternoon.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Mon 4/22/24 4:04 PM

Benson is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Phillies.
EDGE Analysis
With left-hander Ranger Suarez on the mound for the Phillies, Reds manager David Bell will give the lefty-hitting Benson a day off and stock up on some extra right-handed bats. Bubba Thompson will pick up a start in the outfield in Benson's stead.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Mon 4/22/24 8:35 AM

Benson batted leadoff and went 0-for-4 in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Angels.
EDGE Analysis
Benson took over the leadoff duties due to Jonathan India (illness) being unavailable. A season that started promising in March has gone south quickly. His average dropped to .186 following Sunday's 0-fer, and Benson's gone 16 at-bats without a hit.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Sat 4/20/24 4:32 PM

Benson is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels.
EDGE Analysis
With the Angels sending left-hander Patrick Sandoval to the mound Saturday, Bubba Thompson will start in right field and bat ninth. Benson has started in each of the Reds' last five games, going 3-for-17 with five walks and three stolen bases over that span.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Sat 4/13/24 11:37 AM

Benson isn't in the Reds' lineup for Saturday's matchup against the White Sox.
EDGE Analysis
Southpaw Garrett Crochet will take the mound for Chicago, forcing the lefty-hitting Benson into the dugout to begin the game. Spencer Steer, Bubba Thompson and Stuart Fairchild will start across the Reds' outfield while Benson rests.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Tue 4/9/24 8:27 AM

Benson started at designated hitter and went 2-for-3 with a walk, double, a solo home run, a steal and an additional run scored in Monday's 10-8 win over the Brewers.
EDGE Analysis
Benson was originally listed as the starter in right field but was shifted to DH after Jonathan India (leg) was injured during pregame warmups. Benson entered the contest mired in a 2-for-20 (10 strikeouts) slump. Both the homer and steal were Benson's second to go along with six RBI through 10 games.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Sun 4/7/24 12:55 PM

Benson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Mets.
EDGE Analysis
Benson started the first eight games of the season but will take a seat Sunday while mired in a 2-for-19 slump. Bubba Thompson will start in center field and bat ninth in the series finale versus New York.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Tue 4/2/24 8:18 AM

Benson started in right field and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Monday's 6-3 extra-inning win over the Phillies.
EDGE Analysis
Benson stole his first base of the season after logging 19 thefts in 2023. Monday's start was notable in that the lefty-hitting Benson has been in the lineup for both games when the Reds have faced a southpaw. He batted .146 with a .400 OPS over 44 plate appearances against left-handers in 2023, but it appears the Reds are trying to make him an everyday player in 2024. Other than Monday's walk, Benson struck out three times and is 1-for-4 against left-handers thus far. He's fanned seven times overall in 17 plate appearances.