The Reds’ unreal downfall within a matter of days needs to be researched. In April, they were topping the NL Central with a 20-11 record, but it all came crashing down to a 25-24 record, placing them second-last in the division. The offense faltered, the rotation couldn’t click, and the bullpen blew up, all contributing to the slide. This has put the Reds’ manager Terry Francona, under pressure.

To try and turn things around, he is trying to cheer up his 2025 hero, asking him to step up and take the challenge. “I was telling TJ the other day, you’ve got to walk up to the plate with your chest out still,” he began.

“You’ve got to be strong enough mentally to look at the scoreboard and see your batting average and know that’s not what you are,” Francona has his message for TJ Friedl.

The Reds’ entire lineup is struggling, but Friedl is proving to be among the worst affected. He is coming off a .261 average and a 13-homer season last year, so expectations were much higher this time around. But Friedl is slashing .178/.258/.260 with eight extra-base hits and five stolen bases through 41 games. He has also lost his leadoff spot in the lineup.

Friedl’s expected batting average is .198, which would be the worst mark of his career. His expected slugging percentage, xwOBA, and hard-hit percentage are also among the league’s worst. So far, the Reds outfielder is 2-for-29 against offspeed pitches and just 5-for-29 against breaking balls.

From 2021 through last year, his pull percentage stayed above 20%, but it has dropped to just 12.7% this season. The Reds were facing the Phillies and left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo on Tuesday, which led Francona to bench Friedl. Dane Myers instead batted fifth and played center field.

The Reds’ entire offense is struggling right now. They currently rank 27th in batting average at .226 and 18th in total runs scored with 212. Apart from Blake Dunn, no player on the roster is hitting above .300.

With the team struggling offensively, Francona can do little more than hold a mirror up to Friedl and his teammates. Fortunately, the struggling outfielder appears to be taking it positively.

“He’s done a great job of just kind of being there for us,” Friedl said. “Having a Hall of Fame manager really helps, because he’s been through it all. He’s had good teams, and even good teams go through tough times. We know that you’re not going to go through a season where there’s not going to be some slumps. We know who we are, and every day is a new opportunity to go out there and show that.”

Friedl is currently signed to a one-year, $3.8 million contract with the Reds after avoiding salary arbitration. So, he needs to put up strong numbers this season to secure his place moving forward. Francona remains confident that Friedl can turn things around. The next few games will show whether his pep talk hit the right spot or not. But even if Friedl returns to his best form, the Reds could still be held back by their pitching staff.

The Reds’ pitching staff looks much more concerning

Till 22nd April, the Reds’ bullpen had a Major League-best 2.54 bullpen ERA. Between April 11 and 22, they have allowed 10 runs over 37 2/3 innings (1.43 ERA) with no home runs allowed. Now contrast it with their recent loss against the Phillies.

Starter Nick Lodolo had a rough opening frame, allowing a double and walking Bryce Harper and Alex Bohm to load the bases, leading to multiple sacrifice flies before the second inning. Reliever Graham Ashcraft also took a loss after surrendering a decisive home run. The Reds lost the game 4-5. That’s how much the Reds’ pitching went down in one month, similar to their offense.

Currently, the Reds are ranked 25th in terms of ERA (4.74), which sums up their poor show at the mound.

“Every staff struggles at one point. Maybe not to this degree. The team message, the staff message, is that we have to be fearless in the zone. We have to get after it. That’s our job, to do that… There’s no easy answer. There’s no right answer necessarily. You start to uncover things you can lean on and hopefully get them squared away,” Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson said.

The Reds’ front office also sounds clueless about their pitching struggle. However, the Reds couldn’t get over depending only on Chase Burns’ 1.83 ERA on the mound. Baseball is a team team and Francona should make his roster follow that at the earliest.