Ford went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI in Monday's 6-5 loss to Arizona.
Ford made a significant contribution for a second consecutive game. After a game-tying, eighth-inning home run in Sunday's loss to the Giants, Ford hit a game-tying single in the sixth then a go-ahead triple in the eighth Monday. Cincinnati's offense has struggled, so if Ford's bat gets going, he could land a semi-regular role until Christian Encarnacion-Strand (wrist) returns.
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Reds' Mike Ford: Goes deep in loss
Rotowire
Ford went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Giants.
Ford's homer tied the game at 5-5 in the eighth inning. The 31-year-old has gone 2-for-15 with a walk and two strikeouts over five games since he re-signed with the Reds on May 8 following his release from the organization May 4. Ford slashed .228/.323/.475 with 16 homers and 34 RBI over 84 contests with the Mariners last season, so he may have some power upside if he can claim a regular role.
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Reds' Mike Ford: Back with Reds on MLB deal
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The Reds re-signed Ford to a one-year contract Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Ford was released from his minor-league deal with the Reds over the weekend after exercising the opt-out clause in his contract. However, the club is now bringing him back and adding him to the major-league roster. Heyman says Ford will report to the Reds on Wednesday, but it's not yet clear what the corresponding move will be. Sending down the struggling Christian Encarnacion-Strand would seem to be a possibility.
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Mike Ford: Released by Cincinnati
Rotowire
The Reds released Ford from his minor-league contract Saturday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Ford triggered his opt-out clause with the Reds on Wednesday, and Cincinnati has elected to release the 31-year-old. Prior to his exit, Ford was slashing .297/.381/.538 with six home runs and 15 RBI over 105 plate appearances with Triple-A Louisville. He's now on the open market and will look to join a club in need of a left-handed bat.
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Reds' Mike Ford: Triggers opt-out clause
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Ford triggered the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract with the Reds on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
The Reds must decide within the next two days whether to add Ford to their 26-man active roster or release him. Ford, 31, is slashing .297/.381/.538 with six home runs over 24 games this season with Triple-A Louisville.
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Reds' Mike Ford: Back with Reds
Rotowire
Ford signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Ford failed to make the Reds' Opening Day roster despite having an incredible spring, but he will return to the organization on a minor-league pact after testing his options in free agency. The 31-year-old slashed .228/.323/.475 across 251 plate appearances with the Mariners last season and could spend some time in Cincinnati if his bat stays hot in Triple-A.
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Mike Ford: Parts ways with Cincinnati
Rotowire
The Reds released Ford on Friday, Jon Heyman of the New York Postreports.
The 31-year-old was informed Friday that he hadn't made Cincinnati's Opening Day roster, so the organization granted his release. Ford clubbed 16 homers in 84 games for Seattle last season and is now looking for a new team.
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Reds' Mike Ford: Doesn't make Opening Day roster
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The Reds reassigned Ford to Triple-A Louisville on Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Ford slashed .455/.486/.727 with three homers this spring but nonetheless wasn't able to make the Opening Day roster. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him opt out and look for an opportunity elsewhere.
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Reds' Mike Ford: Swinging hot stick
Rotowire
Ford went 2-for-3 with a walk and two solo home runs in Thursday's spring game against the Mariners.
Ford extended his hit streak to seven games, during which he's 13-for-24 with three homers and seven RBI. He's hit safely in nine of 10 Cactus League games and struck out just three times over 33 at-bats. That's he's still around in camp is a positive sign for his chances of making the 26-man roster. Ford is limited to first base defensively, but the Reds are down a corner infielder while third baseman Noelvi Marte serves an 80-game suspension, with Jeimer Candelario expected to replace Marte at the hot corner. Cincinnati manager David Bell typically makes a point to have multiple utility players on his roster, but with a third of the projected Opening Day roster sidelined -- in addition to Marte, Matt McLain (shoulder) and TJ Friedl (wrist) will not be available -- Ford could provide experience behind Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first base, leaving Jonathan India and Spencer Steer to shuffle around to other positions.
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Reds' Mike Ford: Joins Cincy on MiLB deal
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Ford signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Friday that includes an invite to big-league camp, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Ford had a .228/.323/.475 slash line with 16 home runs in 84 games with the Mariners last season before being cut loose in November. The Reds already have a logjam of quality bats, so Ford is unlikely to see much playing time even if he manages to crack the big-league roster.
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Mike Ford: Hits free agency
Rotowire
Ford became a free agent Friday after being non-tendered by the Mariners.
Ford was designated for assignment Tuesday and will now officially head to the open market. He was productive at times for Seattle in 2023 but struggled badly down the stretch. The 31-year-old owns a career .211 batting average and .309 on-base percentage in 234 total major-league games.
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Mariners' Mike Ford: Dropped from 40-man roster
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Ford was designated for assignment by the Mariners on Tuesday.
Ford was probably going to be non-tendered ahead of Friday's deadline had he remained part of the 40-man roster mix in Seattle. The 31-year-old served as the Mariners' primary designated hitter for a portion of the 2023 season but batted just .193 with a .663 OPS over his final 130 plate appearances. He'll likely elect free agency if he passes through waivers unclaimed.
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Mariners' Mike Ford: Sits against southpaw
Rotowire
Ford will hit the bench against lefty Andrew Heaney and the Rangers on Saturday.
Ford hasn't started once against a southpaw all season, and he won't get to break that trend on the penultimate day of the regular season. Sam Haggerty will handle designated hitter duties in his absence.
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Mariners' Mike Ford: On base three times in loss
Rotowire
Ford went 2-for-3 with a walk in a loss to the Dodgers on Sunday.
It was another quiet day for the Mariners' bats as a whole in the final installment of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers, but Ford managed one of two multi-hit efforts on the day for Seattle. The slugger came into the contest mired in a 1-for-15 skid that had encompassed his prior seven games, and the multi-hit tally was Ford's first since Sept. 4.
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Mariners' Mike Ford: Long ball barrage continues in win
Rotowire
Ford went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a win over the Reds on Wednesday.
Ford struck out in two of his other three plate appearances, but he delivered a 400-foot shot to right with Ty France aboard in the second to erase an early 1-0 deficit and give the Mariners a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Ford has a modest four hits over his last four games, yet three of those have left the yard with the help of his 40.0 percent hard contact rate and 42.9 percent HR/FB rate in that sample.
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Mariners' Mike Ford: Leaves yard again Monday
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Ford went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Reds on Monday.
The surging slugger left the yard for the second time in as many games, belting a 388-foot shot to right center in the fifth inning. Ford has career highs in homers (15) and RBI (30), while his current .840 OPS qualifies as his highest figure since his rookie 2019 campaign with the Yankees, when he mustered a .909 figure across 163 plate appearances.
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Mariners' Mike Ford: Belts solo blast Sunday
Rotowire
Ford went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in a loss to the Mets on Sunday.
Ford went back-to-back with Dominic Canzone in leaving the yard during the fourth inning, allowing the Mariners to close a four-run deficit to one. Ford has reached safely in six straight games, an encouraging stretch during which he's posted a .333 average (5-for-15) with two homers, three RBI, three walks, a hit-by-pitch and four runs.
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Mariners' Mike Ford: Resting Sunday
Rotowire
Ford is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals.
Ford will take a seat while Teoscar Hernandez gets a day out of the outfield to serve as Seattle's designated hitter. While starting in five of the Mariners' last six games, Ford went 5-for-18 with a home run, four walks, four runs and three RBI.
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Mariners' Mike Ford: Blasts 12th homer
Rotowire
Ford went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and an additional run scored in Saturday's 15-2 win over the Royals.
Ford capped off a seven-run rally in the third inning with a two-run homer to right field. The 31-year-old had been mired in a lengthy slump prior to Saturday's contest, managing only six hits (one home run) and racking up 20 strikeouts in his previous 50 at-bats.
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Mariners' Mike Ford: On base thrice as late addition
Rotowire
Ford went 2-for-2 with an RBI single, a walk and a run in a win over the White Sox on Tuesday.
Ford was a late fill-in for Julio Rodriguez (illness) and made good use of the spot start, producing his first multi-hit effort since July 18. The multiple trips on the basepaths also pushed Ford's OBP back over the .300 mark (.307) for the season, and he appears to be slowly trending back up following a prolonged slump. He's hitting a respectable .263 and striking out a modest 16.7 percent of the time over his last six games.
