Reds designate infielder Colin Moran for assignment

The Reds announced that they have reinstated outfielder Albert Almora Jr. from the injured list, with infielder Colin Moran getting designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Moran, 29, is in his seventh MLB season. He spent the 2018-2021 stretch with the Pirates, hitting .272/.330/.428 over the first three years of that time. That production was exactly league average, as evidenced by his 100 wRC+. He took a bit of a downturn last year, slashing just .258/.334/.390 for a wRC+ of 97. Moran was making $2.8M last year and headed for a raise through arbitration, but the club decided to move on, designating him for assignment in November.

He ended up landing with the Reds on a $1M deal but hasn’t fared much better this year. He’s hit .211/.305/.376 across 42 MLB games, getting optioned multiple times and outrighted in June. He was selected back to the 40-man roster just over a week ago when Mike Moustakas landed on the IL, but he has lost his spot yet again.

The Reds recently promoted corner infield prospect Spencer Steer, whom they acquired in the Tyler Mahle trade a few weeks ago, likely playing a part in nudging Moran out of their plans. They can use the final weeks of the season to evaluate Steer and see if he fares well enough to secure himself a job on next year’s team.