TJ Friedl’s 5 Best Moments as a Cincinnati Red After DFA

Former Cincinnati Reds outfielder TJ Friedl was designated for assignment Sunday afternoon, ending his six-year stint with the club that took a nosedive in the 2026 season. The Reds claimed infielder Oswaldo Cabrera off waivers from the New York Yankees .

In 91 games, Friedl hit .172 with a .510 OPS. He had 41 total hits and just 11 extra-base hits, rendering him basically a non-factor offensively. He had multiple stints in Triple-A with the Louisville Bats, bouncing back and forth as the Reds struggled with outfield injuries.

However, that wasn't always the case. From 2022-2025, Friedl was essentially Cincinnati's everyday center fielder, providing a contact-hitting, scrappy offensive player while playing a great brand of defense in center field.

Let's go through some of the best moments of Friedl's career in a Reds uniform.

Home run robbery to beat the Milwaukee Brewers

Teams don't often walk off a game with a great defensive play, but that's what happened in 2025 for TJ Friedl. With a runner on base, Emilio Pagan allowed a hard-hit, deep line drive to lefty Jake Bauers , but Friedl timed a jump to rob Bauers and end the game, shocking everyone but Pagan.

First career home run/ Mookie Betts favor

Friedl hit his first career home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021, sending it about 10 rows deep into the right-field seats. Los Angeles outfielder Mookie Betts got the ball out of the stands for Friedl and, in return, gave the fan a signed bat.

The power-hitting Laureano got a hold of one off lefty Andrew Abbott to deep center field. Friedl was playing rather in and had to run a long way and track it perfectly, catching a ball that was clearly going to be a home run. Given the circumstances, the catch against the Brewers was the bigger play, but this one was the better overall defensive play.

Walk-off single over Texas Rangers in 2023

The first of two walk-offs in a series in which the Reds swept the Rangers, Jonathan India walked and advanced to second on a passed ball. Will Smith then threw an up-and-away fastball, which Friedl pulled into the right-center field gap, scoring India and winning the game.

Diving catch against Rafael Devers in August 2026

Despite a horrible season, Friedl still put his body on the line for the Reds. Rafael Devers hit a line drive into center field, and Friedl went full extension to make the grab and rob Devers of a hit.