CLEVELAND -- Sal Stewart remained confident that the first prolonged hitting slump of his big league career will eventually end, but the Reds' rookie first baseman certainly isn't enjoying it. That was crystal clear during Friday's 7-6 win over the Guardians.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh inning and a chance to blow the game open while leading, 3-1, Stewart hit a routine popup to center field that ended the rally. After rounding first base, the 22-year-old violently spiked his helmet to the dirt.
“It’s frustrating, but at the same time, if I want to lead a team as I grow older and I want to be who I can be, that can’t happen," Stewart said on Saturday. "So I’ve got to control my emotions, but it’s just who I am. I wear it on my sleeve -- good and bad.”
Sometimes, manager Terry Francona looks for signs that a player might need a day off, and throwing equipment is often a tell. But on Saturday, Cleveland had a lefty on the mound in starter Joey Cantillo after originally having a right-hander expected to pitch.
“It’s funny because we were actually going to give him a day [off] today, and then we found out they switched pitchers. So it would be a hard time to do that," Francona said. “Sal wears it on his sleeve pretty good. You see him slam his bat down and stuff. I don’t particularly care about that part.
"I just tried to explain to him that the less the other team knows you're frustrated, the better. Because you don’t want to take away what makes guys good. I battled Kevin Youkilis [in Boston] for like three years and finally one day, I went to him and said, ‘Go ahead,’ because he wasn’t the same player. ‘Just don’t hit me with the helmet.’”
Stewart, who was 0-for-4 Friday with an intentional walk in the ninth inning, entered Saturday batting .151 (11-for-73) with one home run and 17 strikeouts in his previous 18 games. After a scorching start to 2026, it lowered his overall numbers to a .238 average with a .784 OPS, but April's National League Rookie of the Month still leads qualified NL rookies in homers (10), RBIs (30), OPS and doubles (eight) while playing all 45 games.
The struggles of Stewart, compounded by others faltering in the lineup, have contributed to a rough May for the club, which included a season-high eight-game losing streak.
“I think he’s started getting pounded in and [that] kind of got him off of what he was hitting before," Francona said. "Trying to maybe let the game come to you, it’s easier said than done. He's a young kid that’s hitting right smack in the middle of the order, and [that] shows what you [Cleveland] thinks, they still walked him, so he’ll be OK. He’s too good a hitter."
Stewart realizes he's been trying to get all of his production back in one at-bat and forcing the issue by expanding his strike zone.
"That’s strictly on me and my fault, and I’ve got to look for better pitches to hit," he said. “I’m not going to let 18 games or however long this bad stretch [has been] change who I am …
"Things aren’t going the way I want them to, but that’s a part of this. It’s a part of a long season. We play 162 games. If you think that the whole season is not going to have ups and downs, then you’re just oblivious to the truth.”
Stewart appreciated Francona having his back.
“I told him today, just thanks for sticking with me," Stewart said. "I’m young. A lot of managers would be like, ‘Oh, we’ve got to make a move,’ or make a quick and rash decision. You know what? He’s penciled me in the middle [of the order] and has full confidence in me. A part of that frustration is letting him down, letting my team down. I want to win."