Reds woes continue as Jake Fraley hits injured list with broken toe

The week from hell for the Cincinnati Reds got worse on Friday night in a number of unfortunate ways.

The obvious is seen in the box score - a blown 3-run lead and an extra-inning loss to the lowly Washington Nationals to extend their losing streak to 4 games. The inconspicuous form came in the usage of the bench bats late in the game, as numerous opportunities for the team to use Jake Fraley came, went, and Fraley was nowhere to be seen.

There’s a reason for that, one that we discovered today. He’s got a broken toe, and the Reds placed him in the injured list today because of it.

TJ Hopkins returns to the lineup, though it’s likely that we’ll see a mostly everyday outfield mix of Spencer Steer in left, TJ Friedl in center, and Will Benson in right. With Jonathan India expected back at some point early next week, there will be a boost both in offense and versatility at that juncture, though it’s hard to deny that the trio of injuries to India, Ben Lively, and Fraley could not have come at a worse time.

The Reds are reeling after the brutal series in Chicago, and they got zero help from their front office at last week’s trade deadline. Now, they’re facing a rather lengthy absence from one of their most dependable bats, and will have to continue to ride things out with an exhausted roster with hopes that Hunter Greene - whose rehab assignment was transferred to AAA Louisville - can get back soon enough to help them salvage was looked, for so long, to be a season with postseason aspirations.