THE APEX TIMES
Reds players turn heads with Bengals-camp visit ahead of Athletics game
Cincinnati’s MLB club dropped by the Kettering Health Bengals Practice Field for a training-camp practice that included Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Cincinnati Reds reliever Sal Stewart and several teammates made an offseason-to-season cross-sport stop Tuesday, joining the Cincinnati Bengals for a training-camp practice at the Kettering Health Bengals Practice Field. The visit came as the Reds prepared for a game against the Athletics, and it also served as a rare on-field look at how the NFL club structures a practice day in the summer.
Stewart was joined by Emilio Pagán, Rhett Lowder, Spencer Steer, Julian Garcia, and Tony Santillan during the Bengals session. The group spent time with the Bengals organization on the practice fields, according to an MLB report, and was on-site for the work with players and staff as the Bengals continued building toward the start of the NFL regular season.
Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals’ star wide receiver, was part of the practice and the experience that the Reds players were invited into. Chase’s presence gave the visit a high-profile spotlight, underscoring how much attention an NFL training camp draws even from athletes whose sport and schedules are otherwise separate.
The connection is also notable because Reds players are not typically in “training-camp mode” in August in the way NFL players are. For an MLB club playing a daily grind during the homestretch of the season, a quick swap in sports setting is more about exposure and camaraderie than anything that affects on-field strategy.
The Bengals visit followed a pattern of community-facing moments that professional teams use in training-camp weeks, when stadium-area facilities become hubs for sponsor activations, local engagement, and guest appearances. While the Reds-Athletics matchup was the focus of the day’s calendar, the practice-field opportunity offered an inside look at the Bengals’ routines, tempo, and practice structure.
For the Reds, who were headed into their Tuesday game against Oakland, the main baseball objective remained straightforward: stay sharp, keep routines in place, and continue managing performance under the season’s playoff pressure. A camp visit does not change a pitching matchup, but it can be a useful reminder of the broader athletic environment in Cincinnati and a chance for players to interact beyond the baseball bubble.
What to watch next is how the Reds carry that summer momentum into the Athletics game, and whether the club continues to use these cross-sport moments during road and home stretches. For the Bengals, the day fit within the ongoing grind of camp, as Cincinnati shapes its final weeks of preparation for the season ahead.
Why It Matters
- Cross-sport visits like this highlight how pro teams in the same city build shared visibility and community ties during summer events.
- For the Reds, the trip is a light but timely break in schedule that still lands immediately before a game, emphasizing routine and readiness.
- For the Bengals, it reflects how training camp draws attention not only from football fans but from athletes in other local major leagues.
- The moment captures the broader Cincinnati sports ecosystem, where athletes can briefly swap perspectives even though their seasons run on different timelines.
Key Facts
- Sal Stewart led a visit by Cincinnati Reds players to the Kettering Health Bengals Practice Field for an NFL training-camp practice.
- The Bengals visit included Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase as part of the practice experience.
- Reds players on-site included Emilio Pagán, Rhett Lowder, Spencer Steer, Julian Garcia, and Tony Santillan.
- The Reds visit took place ahead of the team’s Tuesday matchup against the Athletics.
- The engagement was described by MLB as a “super cool experience.”