Rios signed a minor-league deal with the Reds on Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Rios was designated for assignment Friday and elected free agency. However, after spending the weekend testing the open market, he'll return to the Reds organization on a minor-league pact. The 30-year-old slashed .236/.333/.483 in 204 plate appearances with Triple-A Louisville.
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Edwin Rios: Elects free agency
Rotowire
Rios cleared waivers Saturday and elected to become a free agent, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
The Reds designated Rios for assignment Friday after he went 1-for-9 over just five games in the majors, and he'll now look for another opportunity elsewhere. The 30-year-old owns an .816 OPS through 204 plate appearances in Triple-A this season, so he should have little trouble securing a minor-league deal.
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Reds' Edwin Rios: Removed from 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Reds designated Rios for assignment Friday.
Rios had his contract selected July 5 but logged only 10 plate appearances and went 1-for-9 with four strikeouts. He'll vacate his spot on the active roster for Stuart Fairchild (back). If Rios clears waivers, he'll likely remain with the Reds' organization.
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Reds' Edwin Rios: Makes first start
Rotowire
Rios started at first base and went 0-for-3 in Monday's 6-0 win over Colorado.
Rios made his first start for the Reds since his contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville. The team is dealing with several absences that have cropped up recently, which required a dip into the minors. Rios was initially brought up when the Reds added Jake Fraley to the family medical emergency list, and the team subsequently placed Nick Martini (thumb) and Stuart Fairchild (back) on the 10-day injured list over the weekend. Once Austin Slater, who was recently acquired from the Giants, joins the team Tuesday, Rios could return to Louisville.
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Reds' Edwin Rios: Joins big-league roster
Rotowire
The Reds selected Rios' contract from Triple-A Louisville on Friday, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Rios has been at Louisville all season, where he's put up an .826 OPS with 11 home runs over 50 contests. The 30-year-old is capable of handling the corner infield and corner outfield spots, but it seems unlikely he'll garner much playing time with Cincinnati.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Removed from 40-man roster
Rotowire
Rios was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa on Sunday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.
Rios was optioned to Iowa after being reinstated from the injured list in mid-June, and he's now lost his spot on Chicago's 40-man roster. The 29-year-old has an .810 OPS at Triple-A this season but struggled to a .071/.235/.214 slash line over 34 plate appearances in the majors.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Activated, optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Cubs reinstated Rios (groin) off the 10-day injured list Saturday and optioned him to Triple-A Iowa, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
Rios has struggled mightily in the majors this season, slashing just .071/.235/.214 across 34 plate appearances. His OPS jumps up to .781 in Triple-A, but it's unlikely he gets many more opportunities in the big leagues unless he shows improvement in the minors.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Begins baseball activities
Rotowire
Rios (groin) was cleared to resume baseball activities Tuesday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Rios is about a week removed from being diagnosed with a mild left groin strain. He'll probably be asked to play a handful of minor-league rehab games before the Cubs activate him from the IL, as the 29-year-old has posted a rough .071/.235/.214 batting line over 18 games (34 plate appearances) this season in the majors.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Diagnosed with groin strain
Rotowire
Rios landed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday (retroactive to Sunday) with a left groin strain.
The details of Rios' injury are now known, and he will be eligible to return in a week. Rios is slashing just .071/.235/.214 on the season, and his absence shouldn't have any significant impact on the Cubs' lineup.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Lands on injured list
Rotowire
The Cubs placed Rios on the 10-day injured list Wednesday for undisclosed reasons, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.
The Cubs have yet to announce what exactly is wrong with Rios, but the 29-year-old first baseman will sit out the next 10 days regardless. Rios hasn't found much success in the majors this season, and he hasn't recorded a hit since he was recalled May 19. He has just 11 plate appearances since the beginning of May, so his absence likely won't affect anyone else's playing time.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Recalled from Iowa
Rotowire
The Cubs recalled Rios from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Rios struggled at the plate with Chicago to begin 2023, but he has seemingly found his groove in Triple-A with a .822 OPS through 28 plate appearances. He will take the place of Eric Hosmer as the Cubs' backup first baseman, as Hosmer was designated for assignment Friday.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Rios was optioned to Triple-A Iowa by the Cubs on Friday, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Rios hasn't received much playing time with the Cubs and hasn't done much with the time he has been given, producing just a .580 OPS over 25 plate appearances. He's clearing out to make room for Matt Mervis on the roster.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Starting Sunday
Rotowire
Rios is starting at designated hitter and batting eighth in Sunday's game against the Marlins.
Rios has mostly been relegated to pinch-hitting duties lately, and he has only 17 at-bats all season. Patrick Wisdom and Nick Madrigal have both seen more playing time at third base, so Rios has fairly limited fantasy appeal in his current role, though he offers some home run potential when he's in the lineup.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Seeing little playing time early
Rotowire
Rios is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Reds.
Rios has made just two starts through the Cubs' first six games and looks to be stuck in a part-time role at the moment. He hasn't helped his case for earning more playing time by going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and a walk during the two games in which he's appeared.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Starting Saturday
Rotowire
Rios is starting at designated hitter and batting sixth in Saturday's game against the Brewers.
Rios did not play in Thursday's season opener, so Saturday will mark his debut with the Cubs. The 28-year-old is expected to mix in at third base along with Patrick Wisdom and Nick Madrigal, though the DH role also gives him a path to playing time. Rios posted a .793 OPS with the Dodgers last year and has shown some pop from the left side as a part-time player the past few seasons.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: In mix for starts at third base
Rotowire
Rios is expected to be part of a timeshare at third base for the Cubs along with Patrick Wisdom and Nick Madrigal, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.
Sharma writes that it won't be a straight platoon situation at the hot corner for the Cubs, but rather who starts there will be based more on what kind of pitcher they're facing. Madrigal is likely to face "starters with great swing-and-miss stuff," Wisdom will get the "soft-tossing lefties" and Rios the righties. That setup would seem to point to Rios seeing the most starts at third base of the three, although it looks to be a fluid situation. Rios will also see playing time at first base and the designated hitter spot. The former Dodger has an .898 OPS with four homers this spring, although his longstanding contact issues have also been present with a 30.6 percent strikeout rate. Still, Rios' power and what looks to be a pretty substantial role makes him an interesting late-round fantasy target.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Working on new approach
Rotowire
Rios has altered his approach at the plate this spring, which has included reducing his leg kick, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Rios is aiming to simplify his swing and unlock more power in the process. The infielder is just 6-for-31 in Cactus League action, though three of those hits have left the park. Rios displayed some pop the last four seasons with the Dodgers. but he never saw consistent enough playing time to truly become a fantasy asset. If he has a bigger role with the Cubs, he could be someone worth keeping an eye on.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Hits second spring home run
Rotowire
Rios went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Rangers.
Rios now has two home runs in 16 at-bats this spring to go along with a strong 1.118 OPS. The former Dodger is looking to secure a reserve role with the Cubs, and he could give Chicago some right-handed power off the bench. Rios is unlikely to have a ton of fantasy value as a backup, though an injury or two to the team's regulars could improve his outlook.
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Cubs' Edwin Rios: Inks one-year deal with CHC
Rotowire
Rios signed a one-year major-league contract Friday with the Cubs, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
The deal is worth $1 million. Rios was non-tendered by the Dodgers back in November after logging only 92 plate appearances at the big-league level in 2022. He's shown impressive raw power at times, but the 28-year-old corner infielder will lug a career .219 batting average and .299 on-base percentage down to Cubs camp in Arizona. He'll likely serve as a bench bat that sees most of his playing time at third base, first base and DH.
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Edwin Rios: Non-tendered by Dodgers
Rotowire
The Dodgers declined to tender Rios a contract for 2023, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained that the decision with Rios came down to "fit" on the roster with fellow lefty bats James Outman and Michael Busch having emerged on the 40-man roster. Rios has incredible raw power and posted some eye-popping batted-ball metrics in the minors, so he could be an interesting flier for a second-division team.
