Will Benson
OF CIN
Fri 5/24/24 2:51 PM

Benson is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Dodgers.
EDGE Analysis
The lefty-hitting Benson will avoid a matchup with southpaw James Paxton on Friday. Stuart Fairchild will start in center field and bat leadoff for the Reds.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Wed 5/22/24 7:24 AM

Benson batted ninth and went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored in Tuesday's 2-0 win over San Diego.
EDGE Analysis
Benson had been Cincinnati's leadoff batter against right-handers since TJ Friedl (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list last week. Rookie Jacob Hurtubise took on the role Tuesday with Benson sliding to the bottom of the order. Benson had gone 4-for-18 with two walks and two home runs over his last five games as the leadoff batter. It's unclear if this will be manager David Bell's plan going forward until Friedl is ready.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Fri 5/17/24 8:48 AM

Benson went 1-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in Thursday's 7-2 win over the Dodgers.
EDGE Analysis
Benson homered to lead off the game, his second long ball in three games and sixth of the season. He's batted leadoff in all three contests, taking the spot normally reserved for TJ Friedl (thumb), and has hit safely in all three. It's overall been a rough start to the season for Benson, who's slashing .196/.290/.406 while striking out an alarming 40.1 percent of the time.

Will Benson
OF CIN
Wed 5/15/24 6:46 AM

Benson started in center field and batted leadoff, going 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 6-2 win over Arizona.
EDGE Analysis
Benson delivered the go-ahead knock in the fifth inning, his first home run since April 27. With TJ Friedl (thumb) landing on the injured list, Benson is likely to fill in against right-handers, while Stuart Fairchild operates against lefties. Benson's hit the ball hard, per Statcast, but has little show for it (.193 batting average, .393 slugging).

Will Benson
OF CIN
Mon 5/13/24 8:43 AM

Benson went 0-for-4 with a walk in Sunday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to San Francisco.
EDGE Analysis
As has been customary of late, Benson found himself on the bench to start the game against a lefty, but he was needed when TJ Friedl was removed in the second inning with a thumb injury. Benson, whose average has hovered around .200 since April 19, is just 3-for-25 (.120) over 10 games during the month of May.

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.