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Eligible to return from his 80-game suspension on June 27, Cincinnati Reds prospect Noelvi Marte is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville. He is off to a slow start with Louisville hitting just .143 in 11 games back, striking out 14 times without drawing a walk. The No. 2 overall prospect for the Reds is a bit rusty in his return from his lengthy absence and the Reds have not committed yet to activating him when he is eligible to return from his ban for using a performance-enhancing substance.
There would appear to be a need for the Reds at third base and a prospect of Marte's caliber should be able to boost the team's overall outlook. Marte would likely be contributing in Cincinnati already if not for the suspension. But the slow start in his rehab assignment makes things a bit tricky.
David Bell on Noelvi Marte: "He's doing great. The reports are all positive. Physically, he looks good. He's doing his part to get himself ready. No decision has been made yet."
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"It's definitely not all about the numbers. To prove that, I don't know what his numbers are. I've…
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) June 21, 2024
The Reds will have to decide when to bring Marte into the mix. If he starts to string together some productive at-bats and generate some offense at Louisville then that would likely move forward the timetable. They may not want to rush the young slugger and risk him losing confidence at the big-league level.
How High Is Noelvi Marte's Fantasy Potential?
Marte is a very solid prospect with a lot of upside. Fantasy managers in dynasty leagues should have already pounced on the youngster. But in a re-draft league, the question is whether he is ready to contribute now. The former Mariner has the power profile to contribute 20-30 homer seasons in the big leagues. He can hit for a solid average as well and has stolen more than 20 bases in two of his minor-league seasons.
So he has a good all-around game. Coming off the PED ban there are questions of how quickly he will get up to speed if he is rushed back to the Reds lineup. But he has the talent to overcome a potential slow start and still provide solid returns this year for fantasy managers who take a chance on him.
When Might Noelvi Marte Get A Major-League Opportunity?
Marte is not coming back from an injury. He is simply trying to get his timing back. So the numbers in Triple-A should not be too much cause for concern. Reds manager David Bell even said he is not concerned with Marte's numbers but more with what he hears from the club's player development staff about the quality of his at-bats.
The guess here is that if the Reds don't activate Marte immediately when eligible, they will do so very soon after. With three months or so of potential big-league time this season, Marte is a potential difference-maker for the stretch run.
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