Will Benson (Cincinnati Reds) with a Spectacular Hit Chicago Cubs, 03/02/2025

Jake Fraley and Blake Dunn hit back-to-back homers in the fourth inning and Will Benson added one to cap the scoring in the ninth as the Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 7-3 on Sunday. Carson Spiers got the start and the win by allowing just a run with three strikeouts in three innings.

Blake Dunn (Cincinnati Reds) with a Spectacular Hit Chicago Cubs, 03/02/2025

Jake Fraley (Cincinnati Reds) with a Spectacular Hit Chicago Cubs, 03/02/2025

Ahead of the regular season, Yardbarker MLB writers identify one new face on every NL team who could make a major impact in 2025.

The 23-year-old third baseman used four pieces of athletic tape to secure a sheet of printer paper to one side. At the top was Turner’s full name and date of birth, written in pen. And under it, Shaw had outlined Turner’s whole career, from 2006, when he was drafted by the Reds, to present.

Cubs legend Sammy Sosa is holding out hope that he will get into the Hall of Fame despite the steroid use that has kept him out.

The infield was a big reason for the Reds’ disappointing 2024 season. Regarded as the club’s strength entering Spring Training, it thinned quickly when Matt McLain suffered a shoulder injury and Noelvi Marte was hit with a PED suspension. By the end of camp, the Reds needed to trade for utilityman Santiago Espinal to backfill depth.

Major League Baseball’s lone remaining unbeaten in the early days of Spring Training puts a perfect record on the line on Thursday, as the Chicago Cubs host the Los Angeles Angels for a Cactus League showdown.

DP_Cincinnati 2, Chicago 0. LOB_Cincinnati 7, Chicago 9. 2B_Stephenson 2 (2), Espinal (1), Hurtubise (1), Happ (1), Allen (1). HR_Fraley (1), Dunn (1), Benson (1). SB_Hernandez (1), Fraley (1), Bowman (1).

A through line from the offseason to spring training in Arizona has been the Cubs’ ability to add players who have already won the World Series. Kyle Tucker, the headliner in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Astros, accomplished that goal in 2022, part of a run that saw him go to five consecutive American League Championship Series.