Eugenio Suárez is finally back for the Reds, but they fall in opener

After playing the waiting game far longer than he imagined he could, Eugenio Suárez was activated from the injured list May 22 only to have his would-be first game back rained out. The wait to play would have to continue for at least one more night's sleep, and waiting was the hardest part of Suárez's injury, a left oblique strain that the Cincinnati Reds always said they'd be cautious with. "I didn't enjoy it because it was something I never had in my life," Suárez said prior to the Reds' 8-1 loss to the St.

Louis Cardinals in the first game of the Saturday, May 23 day-night doubleheader. "I had no idea how to handle it, you know what I mean? I think the trainers helped me and the club helped me to be 100%.

I tried my best to be back soon but on that injury, you've got to be careful and they helped me in that way because I was the guy who wanted to be back. "At the same time, I understand how important it is to be 100%. " For a player of Suárez's importance, the Reds bit the proverbial injury bullet once and dealt with it properly the first time.

Getting the injury situation wrong and potentially prolonging Suárez's absence could have meant risking a player that factored heavily into the club's 2026 plans. Suárez still missed 25 of the Reds' first 50 games. The club was 16-9 with him on the active roster, including a 4-2 record in April after he went on the 10-day IL.