Cincinnati Reds News Roundup — September 22, 2026

The Cincinnati Reds defeated the Atlanta Braves 4-0 behind Brandon Williamson's six-inning shutout and three home runs, including one from Elly De La Cruz, who continues his pursuit of a 30/30 season with two steals and two homers remaining to reach that milestone.

The Reds' season-long struggles have exposed fundamental problems with roster construction rather than managerial decisions. David Bell was fired in September 2024 after four consecutive losing seasons, replaced by Hall of Famer Terry Francona, yet the team has performed worse under Francona with a record 12 games below .500 and 26 games behind the Brewers. Multiple outlets note that both managers have produced similar results with comparable rosters, pointing to president of baseball operations Nick Krall and ownership as the source of the team's dysfunction.

Individual performances provide the only compelling storylines as the Reds enter their final week at 72-84. De La Cruz is having a career year with 28 home runs, a .285 average, and elite defense, and an MLB.com poll of 38 contributors shows him tied with Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski in MVP voting, though he trails Pete Crow-Armstrong and Shohei Ohtani. Rookie Sal Stewart is on pace to become the ninth Reds player to win Rookie of the Year, leading all NL rookies with 32 home runs and 110 RBIs.

The Reds made roster moves ahead of the Atlanta series, placing reliever Tony Santillan on the injured list with a left hip labral tear and recalling Connor Phillips from Triple-A Louisville. Santillan's season ends with a 6.42 ERA, a significant decline from his 2.61 ERA over the previous three seasons, while Phillips has shown inconsistency in 2026 but posted a 1.04 ERA in September at Louisville.