As of today, the Cincinnati Reds have played 55 games this season, but their leader in both bWAR and fWAR from 2014, TJ Friedl, has only participated in 24 of them. Friedl has been sidelined for nearly six games due to a pair of unfortunate injuries: a broken wrist during spring training after diving for a ball in center field, followed by a fractured thumb from a hit-by-pitch. However, his absence will come to an end this Wednesday, just in time for the series finale against St. Louis. The Reds activated Friedl from the injured list early Wednesday morning, and in a corresponding move, they designated veteran infielder Mike Ford for assignment to clear a roster spot.

Friedl's return is expected to help revive a Cincinnati offense that has been struggling badly, currently ranking third worst in MLB with a team-wide wOBA of just .294. While Ford was originally brought in to provide some offensive punch after posting a solid .343 wOBA and hitting 16 home runs with the Seattle Mariners last season, his performance has been dismal in Cincinnati. Since his signing, Ford has registered only a .183 wOBA with just one home run in 62 plate appearances over 17 games, far below expectations. His tumultuous contract situation, including multiple signings and releases, ultimately resulted in a guaranteed $1.3 million contract for him this season, which the Reds are on the hook for.

Now, Friedl is set to take over center field duties and lead off the lineup, and Reds fans are hopeful that his return will spark some much-needed offense.

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