Cincinnati Reds Send Outfielder Bubba Thompson All the Way Down to Double-A

Bubba Thompson, a former top prospect for the Texas Rangers and a frequent flyer on the waiver wire last offseason, is joining the Cincinnati Reds' Double-A affiliate.

Apr 22, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds outfielder Bubba Thompson (12) catches a pop up. / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Reds announced a laundry list of roster moves Tuesday afternoon.

Outfielder TJ Friedl was activated from the 15-day injured list, which he had been on since fracturing his wrist during Spring Training. Right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas, meanwhile, came off the 15-day injured list after missing the past few weeks due to forearm soreness.

To make room for Friedl and Montas – as well as outfielder Conner Capel, who got selected from Triple-A Louisville – Cincinnati had to shed some weight.

The Reds wound up optioning utility man Nick Martini and outfielder Bubba Thompson. But while Martini got assigned to Triple-A Louisville, Thompson was sent to Double-A Chattanooga.

Thompson had been on the Reds' roster since Opening Day, but he had made just 18 plate appearances. He last checked into a game as a pinch runner on May 4, and before that, he hadn't played since April 29.

In 17 games, Thompson was batting .111 with five stolen bases, a .278 OPS and a -0.2 WAR.

The #Reds today announced the following transactions: pic.twitter.com/tzam7cqGVX

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 7, 2024

Thompson getting sent to the minors to give him more reps makes sense, but a Double-A assignment seems like an odd move for a former top prospect with plenty of Triple-A experience under his belt.

The Texas Rangers drafted Thompson in the first round back in 2017. He was pegged as a top-five prospect in their system in both 2018 and 2019.

Thompson took longer to reach the big leagues than initially expected, and most of his hype had faded by the time he made his MLB debut in 2022. Still, he hit .265 with a .614 OPS as a rookie, and he made Texas' Opening Day roster in 2023.

From there, though, Thompson fell out of favor with the Rangers. He got sent down and eventually designated for assignment, which led to the speedster getting passed around between the Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins and Reds over a six-month span.

Thompson spent about half of the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Triple-A, batting .284 with 19 home runs, 82 RBI, 76 stolen bases and a .787 OPS across 145 games. He has not appeared in a Double-A game since 2021, immediately following the lost COVID season.

The outfielder is a month away from turning 26 years old.

With Friedl in their outfield rotation instead of Thompson, the Reds are opening a home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Game one is scheduled to start at 6:40 p.m. ET.

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