JJ Bleday, in the center of perhaps the finest season of his profession, was prime commerce bait at the Aug. 3 deadline.
The Reds opted to dangle onto him, and that determination undoubtedly paid off for them on Saturday evening.
The 28-year-old left fielder hit for the cycle in just six innings on Saturday to lead the Cincinnati Reds to an 11-5 blowout win over the Diamondbacks in Arizona.
JJ Bleday (22) celebrates with teammate Eugenio Suarez after hitting a solo house run in the sixth inning to full the cycle in the Reds’ 11-5 blowout win over the Diamondbacks on Aug. 22, 2026 at Chase Field in Phoenix. Getty Images
Bleday, batting third, kicked issues off in the first inning with a double to drive in star shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who led off the sport with a double.
He came back to the plate in the third inning and tripled to convey house rookie phenom Sal Stewart, that means the hardest piece of the cycle was already full. Bleday then came house on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Stephenson — himself a retention at the commerce deadline with a contract expiring at the finish of the 12 months.
Now batting with one out in the fourth and De La Cruz and Stewart aboard, Bleday grounded a single through the proper facet to load the bases.
Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz, heart proper, hugs JJ Bleday after Bleday hit for the cycle during the sixth inning of a baseball sport against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, in Phoenix. AP Photo/Darryl Webb
Clearly unhappy with his three hits and two RBIs in what was at that level was already a blowout, Bleday despatched the first pitch of the sixth inning for a solo house run that barely scraped over the wall in proper to full the eighth cycle in franchise historical past and fourth in the MLB this season.
Though Bleday has been one of the Reds’ high sluggers this season, he discovered his profession hanging in the steadiness just eight months in the past, when the AL West bottom-feeding A’s declined to tender him a contract in the offseason.
Cincinnati took a likelihood on a one-year, $1.4 million deal, a contract that he has more than lived up to.
Elly De La Cruz almost joined Bleday in the historical past books on Saturday, too.
De La Cruz, who went 4-for-6, completed a triple shy of his second profession cycle — and it wouldn’t have been too much a shock if the speedster, who has 29 three-baggers over his four-year profession, accomplished the process. If it occurred, the duo would have been the first teammates in MLB historical past to hit for the cycle in the same sport.
He ended his evening with a solo house run, double and two singles.
JJ Bleday (proper) celebrates with Eugenio Suárez after hitting a house run to full the cycle. Getty Images
The sixth-inning homer was Bleday’s twenty first of the season, second on the workforce behind Stewart. He leads the Reds in walks and is third in RBIs despite taking part in the first month of the season in Triple-A.
Much of Bleday’s influence has been for naught, though, as the Reds discover themselves last in the division and far out of even a wild card spot. Cincinnati has struggled with rotation accidents and has been, aside from the trio at the high of the lineup, in the dumps on offense.