Reds: 3 players who could be optioned when Shogo Akiyama returns

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 27: Shogo Akiyama #4 of the Cincinnati Reds bats against the Minnesota Twins. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)

Who heads to Louisville when Shogo Akiyama returns to the Reds lineup?

Shogo Akiyama will be back very soon. That means that a corresponding move must be made when the Japanese outfielder is reinstated from the injured list. There are any number of ways the Cincinnati Reds front office could go, but some make more sense than others.

Akiyama began the 2021 campaign on the 10-day IL with a hamstring injury. Heading into the season, the Reds outfield looked incredibly overcrowded. Now more than a month into the season, that sentiment…