Stuart Fairchild is a former 2nd round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds, and after whirlwind tours through the Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants organizations, he made his way back to the Reds during the 2022 season. When he returned, things went quite swimmingly, as he posted an .897 OPS in 38 games at the big league level - including an even more impressive finish of .324/.410/.588 over his final 78 PA with Cincinnati.
That flurry of a finish paired with the injury to fellow right-hander Nick Senzel made it look initially as if Fairchild would have an inside track to a spot on the Reds Opening Day roster this season, as TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, and Will Benson all hit left-handed.