News Reds Team Notes

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds claim Ohio Cup with 7-4 victory over Cleveland Guardians

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Tito Francona strikes again!

The late Walt Jocketty was the architect of the 2014 Cincinnati Reds, a club that featured manager Bryan Price pissing up ropes and the inimitable Skip Schumaker accruing a remarkable -1.2 bWAR in just 271 PA.

Joey Votto was limping his way back from his distal quad strain, hitting only 6 dingers n 62 games. Devin Mesoraco broke out with 25 dingers in what would be his first true (and last true) fully healthy season. Johnny Cueto threw 243.2 IP of 2.25 ERA ball that I will, to this day, fight someone about should they ever suggest anyone else deserved the National League Cy Young Award, and the Reds burgled their way to an otherwise forgettable 76-86 overall record.

That year, though, they won the Ohio Cup over the Cleveland baseballing franchise, and took the damn thing home themselves. And prior to Monday, 2014 marked the last time the Reds could lay such a claim.

In the 11 years since, the Cleveland Guardians have either won or retained the title in each and every season, leaving the moribund Reds on the outside looking in on even this minor piece of silverware. Had, rather, as the 2025 edition of the Reds roared right past their Ohio peers, with Terry Francona’s new squad putting the screws to his old one.

The Reds rolled out the new-look old-man who is Wade Miley on Monday in Cleveland, and the veteran lefty helped keep Cleveland stifled enough for Cincinnati’s cadre of Jake Fraley, TJ Friedl, and Gavin Lux to seize the offensive work in what became a 7-4 Reds win saved by Emilio Pagan.

It was a thorough bit of work, with an exhilirating combination of an early lead, a comeback, late-inning runs, a set of dingers, and bullpen work that mostly looked brilliant enough. The end result was the fourth straight win over the Guardians this year - something made that much more enjoyable by the fact that they’ve only played one another four times all year (so far).

I mentioned in the series preview earlier today that the Guardians are tied for the fifth-worst wOBA against left-handed pitching so far this season, and that’s lined up to continue working in the Reds favor with each of Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo slated to start the pair of remaining games this series. They can’t win the Ohio Cup any more than they already have for the rest of this series, but with the trophy already harvested they can still smash the gas pedal on zooming well past the .500 mark, something they did by a hair with tonight’s victory.

Frankly, I think it’s high time this club got that much in gear.

Go Reds.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...n-ohio-cup-cleveland-guardians-terry-francona

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 67: Reds at Guardians (6:40 PM ET) - Miley vs. Ortiz

Hey, it’s a Reds Miley! | Photo by David Maxwell/Getty Images

Go Reds!

It’s Miley night for the Cincinnati Reds in Cleveland as Wade returns to the mound for his first start with the club this year. He was knocked around in a relief role after re-signing with the club last week, and hopefully that firmly shook off all the rust needed.

Photo by John Reid III/MLB via Getty Images
Again, not Wade Miley

Wade starts against the Guardians with the fate of the Ohio Cup on the line, as a victory tonight will send said cup running over to Cincinnati for the season.

First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET. Go Reds!

Today's Lineups​

TJ Friedl - CF	Steven Kwan - LF
Gavin Lux - DH	Lane Thomas - CF
Elly De La Cruz - SS	Jose Ramirez - 3B
Christian Encarnacion-Strand - 1B	David Fry - DH
Tyler Stephenson - C	Carlos Santana - 1B
Will Benson - LF	Gabriel Arias - SS
Santiago Espinal - 3B	Johnathan Rodriguez - RF
Jake Fraley - RF	Bo Naylor - C
Matt McLain - 2B	Angel Martinez - 2B
Wade Miley - LHP	Luis L. Ortiz - RHP

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GUARDIANS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...ds-wait-that-isnt-wade-miley-thats-dave-miley

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 68: Reds at Giardians (6:40 PM EDT) - Abbott vs. Cecconi

Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Today's Lineups​

TJ Friedl - CF	Steven Kwan - LF
Gavin Lux - DH	David Fry - DH
Elly De La Cruz - SS	Jose Ramirez - 3B
Christian Encarnacion-Strand - 3B	Carlos Santana - 1B
Tyler Stephenson - C	Gabriel Arias - SS
Will Benson - LF	Bo Naylor - C
Spencer Steer - 1B	Johnathan Rodriguez - RF
Jake Fraley - RF	Nolan Jones - CF
Matt McLain - 2B	Angel Martinez - 2B
Andrew Abbott - LHP	Slade Cecconi - RHP

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REDS​

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GUARDIANS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...ds-at-giardians-6-40-pm-edt-abbott-vs-cecconi

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 69: Reds at Guardians (1:10 PM ET) - Lodolo vs. Allen

Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images

Nice!

The Cincinnati Reds send Nick Lodolo to the mound with a sweep of the Cleveland Guardians - and the Ohio Cup - on the line.

Go Reds!

Today's Lineups​

TJ Friedl - CF	Lane Thomas - CF
Santiago Espinal - 3B	David Fry - DH
Elly De La Cruz - SS	Jose Ramirez - 3B
Christian Encarnacion-Strand - 1B	Carlos Santana - 1B
Spencer Steer - DH	Gabriel Arias - SS
Jose Trevino - C	Nolan Jones - LF
Connor Joe - RF	Johnathan Rodriguez - RF
Matt McLain - 2B	Dom Nunez - C
Garrett Hampson - LF	Angel Martinez - 2B
Nick Lodolo - LHP	Logan Allen - LHP

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GUARDIANS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/11/24447510/cincinnati-reds-cleveland-guardians-nick-lodolo

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Andrew Abbott has pitched his way into ‘ace’ conversation

Not when his aim is like that, though. | Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

His complete game mastery of Cleveland on Tuesday night vaulted him into pretty elite company.

The term ‘ace’ gets lobbed around pretty easily in baseball parlance, and it never truly gets defined very well.

Does each of the 30 MLB clubs have an ace?

Are there five aces across the entire league? Ten? Seventeen?

Can you be an ace one year, not the next, and later recover your acedom?

Do the stats on the back of your baseball card dictate whether you’ve been an ace, or is an ace the kind of pitcher you put on the mound expecting future ace-like production?

There’s undoubtedly a certain bit of answer to each of these questions that needs to be rolled in to any discussion of a true ‘ace,’ but it’s hard to keep having that discussion at this point of 2025 without including Cincinnati Reds lefty Andrew Abbott’s name.

That’s even more true after his absolute gem against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday evening, a night on which he fired a 3-hit complete game shutout of his Ohio rivals to lead the Reds to their fifth consecutive win overall.

Despite having missed the first two weeks of the 2025 season as he worked his way back from shoulder problems, the former 2nd round pick now sits fourth in the National League with 2.7 bWAR on the season. Dating back to the start of the 2023 season, he has accrued 8.8 bWAR in total, a mark that ranks him twelfth in all of baseball - directly behind the likes of Sonny Gray (8.9), Corbin Burnes (9.0), and Hunter Greene (9.1) and ahead of Blake Snell (8.4) and Nathan Eovaldi (7.7).

FanGraphs has yet to jump fully on the Abbott Wagon, though the lefty’s 1.87 ERA ranks 6th among the 100 MLB starters who’ve logged at least 60 IP so far this year - right ahead of Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes and his 1.88 mark.

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Has Abbott pitched his name all the way into bona fide ace status? I don’t think he’s quite there yet. But when you start finding your name listed alongside the likes of Greene, Burnes, Skenes, & Co., it’s hard not wonder if it’s happening right before our eyes.

For his incredible efforts for the Reds against the Guardians on June 10th, Abbott earns this week’s Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Week award, something he may well have to move off his trophy shelf for bigger and better prizes as they come down the road.

Congrats, Andrew.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...t-cincinnati-reds-ace-cleveland-complete-game

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds aim to keep on winnin’ on the road vs. Detroit Tigers

Photo credit should read TONY RANZE/AFP via Getty Images

A short road trip to the Motor City awaits!

There has been no pitcher in baseball better than Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

That’s an open-ended statement, and that’s by design.

If I’m talking about 2025, well, the answer is Tarik Skubal. He leads all MLB pitchers with 3.4 fWAR so far this season, a full half-win over Paul Skenes (2.9) in second place. That’s fueled by a ridiculous 15.00 K/BB and 1.86 xFIP, numbers that similarly lap the field in those particular categories.

If I’m talking about 2024-2025, the story’s the same - Skubal ranks at (or near) the top in all major metrics and, therefore, atop the counting categories. Only Zack Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies (13.5 fWAR) tops Skubal (12.5) in total fWAR since the start of the 2023 season, even, showing just how dominant the 2024 AL Cy Young Award winner has been for some time now.

In yet another fortuitous turn of events, the Cincinnati Reds head to Detroit this weekend to take on the Tigers, and they’re going to miss Skubal’s turn in the rotation. It’s a story that keeps sneaking its way into these previews this year, as the Reds have so far managed to dodge the likes of Paul Skenes in two separate series against the Pittsburgh Pirates already, too.

That’s not to say the rest of the Tigers rotation is chump change. They’re nearly 20 games over .500 and the leaders of the solid AL Central for a reason, after all, and their team packs a balanced offensive attack around Riley Greene and a resurgent Spencer Torkelson, too. The Reds, quite simply, are up against a really good Tigers club in the coming days, something they’ll have to overcome to keep their good play leading to wins in the right column.

Cincinnati’s efforts of the last week pushed them over the .500 mark again even after Wednesday’s thumping by the Cleveland Guardians in the series finale. They’ve won 5 of 6 games overall and look much more balanced offensively with a healthy Christian Encarnacion-Strand in the lineup, and they enter play in the Motor City just 4.0 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot.

There’s no chill in Cincinnati’s schedule until back to back series against Miami and Colorado beginning on July 7th, so it’s imperative they keep their good form going against the meat of their June slate. That’s Tiger meat first and foremost, and it begins on Friday evening.

Pitching Matchups​

Friday, June 13th (7:10 PM ET): RHP Nick Martinez vs. RHP Keider Montero

Saturday, June 14th (1:10 PM ET): RHP Brady Singer vs. RHP Jack Flaherty

Sunday, June 15th (12:05 PM ET): LHP Wade Miley vs. RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long

How to Watch​

Each of the three games of the series will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network. You can watch FDSN in-market through cable packages, though it’s also available to be streamed in-market with no blackout restrictions even without a cable subscription. You can check the link in the above sidebar (which I’ve re-linked right here) for more information on how you can do just that.

Sunday’s game will also be broadcast via Roku.

Per usual, you can view these final two games from outside the Reds TV market by catching the FDSN stream through MLB.tv.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/12/24448000/cincinnati-reds-detroit-tigers-preview-rumors

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Cincinnati Reds seek Ohio Cup glory on this week’s trip to Cleveland

All it takes is one!

Twice this season the Cincinnati Reds have ripped off win streaks of five games.

The first one, though, featured a sweep of the Colorado Rockies, so I’m going to be forced to discount that just a bit. The second, however, included a sweep of the Cleveland Guardians at home in Great American Ball Park to open the 2025 edition of the Ohio Cup, and that one seems to carry much more weight in my opinion.

That leaves Cincinnati just one more victory away from claiming the Cup this year, and next on the schedule is their chance to make it happen. They’re in Cleveland today to begin a three-game set against their state rivals, the Guardians playing host this time around at their home in Progressive Field.

Cleveland sports an impressive 18-13 record in home games so far this season, so it won’t be the easiest spot in the world to claim an overall series victory. The Guardians have also stumbled to just a 9-13 record since May 14th - a stretch that includes the aforementioned sweep in Cincinnati - and have slipped to 7.5 games back of the Detroit Tigers in their division (and into 3rd in the AL Central overall).

They, like the Reds, have fallen out of a Wild Card spot, though they’re still just 0.5 games back of the Minnesota Twins for the final American League one. The Reds, meanwhile, are 4.5 games back of the Philadelphia Phillies for the final NL Wild Card position, though they’ve got two additional teams they’d need to jump to claim that spot right now, too.

In other words, it’s a series between a pair of decent clubs with larger ambitions that haven’t quite played as good this year as they think they should have. A rock fight may well ensue, with every last swing, every last run meaningful here in the long run as these two do battle on the margins.

Cincinnati is in the odd position of sending left-handed starters to the bump for each game of this series, with Wade Miley making his rotational return and Hunter Greene firmly on the IL with his groin issue. Perhaps that’s a boon for Cincinnati’s chances, as Cleveland owns just a .269 wOBA against LHP so far this year - that’s tied for the 5th lowest mark against southpaws of any MLB club.

Once again, this is Terry Francona’s time to shine against his former club, too. A full six-game sweep of the Ohio Cup in his first year as manager of the Cincinnati Reds would be a nice little julep cup on his desk, I’d say.

Pitching Matchups​

Monday, June 9th (6:40 PM ET): LHP Wade Miley vs. RHP Luis Ortiz

Tuesday, June 10th (6:40 PM ET): LHP Andrew Abbott vs. RHP Slade Cecconi

Wednesday, June 11th (1:10 PM ET): LHP Nick Lodolo vs. LHP Logan Allen

How to Watch​

Each of the three games of the series will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network. You can watch FDSN in-market through cable packages, though it’s also available to be streamed in-market with no blackout restrictions even without a cable subscription. You can check the link in the above sidebar (which I’ve re-linked right here) for more information on how you can do just that.

Per usual, you can view these final two games from outside the Reds TV market by catching the FDSN stream through MLB.tv.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/9/24446080/cincinnati-reds-ohio-cup-preview-cleveland-guardians

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 70: Reds at Tigers (7:10 PM ET) - Martinez vs. Hurter

Photo by Lonnie Major/Allsport/Getty Images

Go Reds!

Go Reds!

Today's Lineups​

TJ Friedl - CF	Gleyber Torres - 2B
Santiago Espinal - 3B	Kerry Carpenter - RF
Elly De La Cruz - SS	Riley Greene - LF
Christian Encarnacion-Strand - 1B	Spencer Torkelson - DH
Tyler Stephenson - C	Colt Keith - 1B
Spencer Steer - LF	Wenceel Perez - CF
Gavin Lux - DH	Javier Baez - SS
Connor Joe - RF	Zach McKinstry - 3B
Matt McLain - 2B	Jake Rogers - C
Nick Martinez - RHP	Keider Montero - RHP

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TIGERS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/13/24448864/cincinnati-reds-detroit-tigers-nick-martinez

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Nick Martinez takes the mound tonight for Cincinnati as perhaps their biggest trade chip

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

The Reds begin a series in the Motor City!

Nick Martinez toes the rubber tonight for the Cincinnati Reds in something of a precarious position.

His position in the team’s starting rotation isn’t precarious because of results, I should add. In 75.1 IP so far this season he’s pitched to a tidy 3.70 ERA, 120 ERA+, and a 3.59 FIP that suggests his results have been every bit as deserving as his efforts.

He’s been hell on RHH (.699 OPS against), and were it not for his escalating splits the third time through a batting order his season-long numbers would look that much better. Several times this year he’s been tasked with pitching beyond the 6th inning only for things to go haywire right before being pulled, skewing his numbers on the day when he’d otherwise been brilliant.

The precarious nature of his position as a pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds rotation is merely due to his contract status. He’s earning a hair over $21 million this season in his final season of team control by the Reds having accepted the Qualifying Offer this past offseason. That means that a) he’ll again reach free agency this offseason and b) that the Reds can’t slap him with the QO again after the season, meaning the Reds will ultimately have a trade deadline decision on whether to keep him and push for the playoffs or deal him, save coin, and try to make a playoff push without him.

There’s no doubt he’d be a viable, moveable piece this July. He’s shown for years he’s both a quality starter and reliable multi-inning reliever on short notice, if need be, precisely the kind of flexible option any team out there would love to have. So, if the Reds don’t find a way to get closer to a playoff position, they’ll be tempted to see what pieces they can get for him by cashing-in and turning over those would-be innings to a younger, cheaper arm.

I’m not saying they should do it. I’m just saying that on his salary, it’s something that Nick Krall will have to be weighing each and every single day between now and the deadline, even more so if Martinez continues to excel on the mound while the Reds stay stuck in ~.500 purgatory.

Martinez takes the mound tonight in the series opener in Detroit against the surging Tigers, doing his damnedest to try to get the Reds back on track after their loss in the series finale against Cleveland. Considering he’s likely pitched his way out of the Reds price range for an extension with the club, he’s pitching for his own contract future, the future of the 2025 Reds, and for Nick Krall’s deadline to-do list.

Frankly, I’m rooting for all parties involved.

Reds Lineup, 6/13​

First of three in the Motor City.

Powered by @PNCBank pic.twitter.com/EpTIcgEZ9i

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 13, 2025​

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...ds-detroit-tigers-series-nick-martinez-rumors

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 71: Reds at Tigers (1:10 PM ET) - Singer vs. Flaherty

Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Go Reds!

It’s a fight to remain relevant once again for the Cincinnati Reds as they take on the surging Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Saturday.

The Reds, who slipped back to .500 at 35-35 after Saturday’s loss to Detroit, find themselves 7 games back of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central race while they’re also 4 games back of the final NL Wild Card spot now, too. That Wild Card race is slightly deceiving, however, as each of the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, St. Louis Cardinals, and Milwaukee Brewers are ahead of them in the hierarchy for the final spot at the moment.

It’s go-time for the Reds, who have been carried of late by TJ Friedl, Elly De La Cruz, and their starting pitching while their bullpen and the rest of the offense has mostly snoozed through the week. Detroit, meanwhile, has its entire arsenal humming atop the American League Central and their home atmosphere has morphed into that of a playoff environment, something I can only dream will happen at least once in my adult life for the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

First pitch Saturday will be tossed by Jack Flaherty of Detroit while Brady Singer starts for the Reds. It’s slated for a 1:10 PM ET start.

Today's Lineups​

TJ Friedl - CF	Parker Meadows - CF
Gavin Lux - 3B	Gleyber Torres - 2B
Elly De La Cruz - SS	Kerry Carpenter - RF
Tyler Stephenson - DH	Riley Greene - DH
Will Benson - LF	Dillon Dingler - C
Spencer Steer - 1B	Colt Keith - 1B
Jose Trevino - C	Wenceel Perez - LF
Jake Fraley - RF	Javier Baez - 3B
Matt McLain - 2B	Trey Sweeney - SS
Brady Singer - RHP	Jack Flaherty - RHP

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...eds-jack-flaherty-detroit-tigers-brady-singer

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Elly De La Cruz carries Reds to series win over Tigers

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

He’s on a heater!

The Cincinnati Reds have won 7 of 9, sit a pair of games over the .500 mark at 37-35 so far in 2025, and just knocked off the Detroit Tigers by the score of 8-4 on Sunday afternoon in Comerica Park.

You can scour the box scores for every single specific reason the Reds have pulled off these things, or you can simply sigh and mumble Elly De La Cruz to yourselves.

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Cincinnati’s superstar entered the month of June sporting a solid, yet un-Ellyesque .763 OPS for the entirety of the 2025 season, but he’s been on an absolute tear ever since. He owned a 1.219 OPS in June entering play on Sunday, a game in which he socked yet another 2-run homer as part of a 3-hit afternoon.

Dating back to May 25th, he’d hit a crazy .343/.443/.746 with 7 homers and 6 doubles over his last 19 games, and that was before today. After today’s exploits - including the fourth consecutive game in which he’s socked a homer - he’s up to .273/.352/.498 on the season, with 15 homers and 50 ribeyes as the behemoth in the middle of the Reds lineup.

For the first time in his career, Elly De La Cruz has homered in 4 straight games (MLB x @BudweiserUSA)

— MLB (Bot) (@mlbbot.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T19:04:40.000Z

With today’s victory, the Reds came back to take the series from Detroit after dropping the first game of it. That marks the first time in 39 such instances where they came back to win a series after dropping the first game of one, a simply remarkable run of performance that’s something of a mark of mediocrity for a franchise.

Elly’s on a heater. The Reds are on a heater. There’s a mighty fine chance this club finds a way to turn this season into something more than mediocrity after all.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...-cruz-cincinnati-reds-all-star-detroit-tigers

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Red Reposter - Trade season has begun!

Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Monday links!

The elephant in the baseball room is the blockbuster deal that hit the tradewaves on Sunday night.

The Boston Red Sox, mired in 4th place in the American League Central with a 37-36 record, dealt star 3B/DH/not-1B Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants for a package containing pitchers Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison, and Jose Bello along with outfield prospect James Tibbs III - the 13th overall pick in last summer’s MLB Draft. The baseball crew at The Athletic broke down the deal in great detail, noting that the remaining $250 million on Devers’ contract will also be going to the Giants in full.

It’s a stunning development in any year, Devers being a 3-time All Star and former Silver Slugger Award winner sporting a 155 OPS+ this season at the prime age of 28. It’s particularly stunning this year, though, because a) it’s the Sox dealing away the best player in the deal despite being 0.5 games out of a Wild Card spot and b) because it’s only June 16th, some six weeks away from the actual trade deadline.

Devers and the Red Sox had put one another in a pickle with their should-he/shant-he position switches since the signing of Alex Bregman. Clearly there was a disconnect there, and the Giants - themselves 41-31 and in serious pursuit of a playoff run - jumped in and pounced.

So, what the hell does this have to do with the Cincinnati Reds?

Well, the timing of it is important - teams are showing that they’re already willing to make deals instead of waiting for another month should the right player become available. That means any respite Nick Krall and Co. might have assumed would be in place through June is no longer there, as every team out there who may have considered a move for Devers this summer is now searching for something elsewhere.

Beyond that, though, is that it’s an example of two clubs who are actually trying to win games in 2025 dealing off their big league roster for pieces that better fit that chance. In other words, this is not a classic rebuilding club sells star for prospects move - it’s a move of competitive advantage. The Reds, despite their flaws, are an above .500 club with playoff aspirations and a relative wealth of starting pitching, yet they still need pieces in other parts of the roster to be augmented to truly be rounded out.

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How the Reds manage a starting rotation with options like Nick Martinez and Wade Miley within it as Hunter Greene nears his return is worth watching. Depth is great, for sure, but with nobody in that six-man group really being an option waiting to happen, the Reds may find themselves in a situation sooner than later where they get the opportunity to move one on for something else that’s big league tangible, like a lockdown reliever or a corner outfielder with functioning hamstrings.

Trade season, either way, has officially begun.

Speaking of which, Boston dealt Brian Van Belle to the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend, too. Cincinnati sent cash considerations the opposite way to Boston, who had DFA’d the RHP earlier in the week. Van Belle was subsequently optioned to AAA Louisville where he’ll serve as precisely the kind of pitching depth that might prompt the Reds to consider the moves I detailed in the above paragraphs (should the right offer come around). Boston, obviously, needed some 40-man roster space for the eventual Devers move, and this helped facilitate it.

Over at The Athletic, Leatherpants outlined 20 things he’s hearing as trade season heats up. None of it is particularly specific to the Reds, though there are definitely several tidbits that could well be Reds-related on the opposite end of any trade without squinting too much.

The Reds reportedly explored extending Elly De La Cruz at some point in the last two-plus years, but obviously that never materialized. The gang at MLB Trade Rumors helped contextualize that based off a Krall interview on MLB Network’s “The Front Office,” though it’s hard to truly get a sense of whether the two sides were ever really close. It’s nice to think about, since it’s nice to think about being able to root for Elly in a Reds uniform for more than the next couple of years, but at this point - with Elly roaring hot once again - I wonder if the Reds have already seen that opportunity blow past the willingness of their own frugal budgets.

Finally, Austin Hays isn’t nearly as close to a return to the Reds as it seemed he’d be when initially shut down at the end of May. It seems that pesky bone bruise he suffered was still bothering him enough to be shut down from running altogether last week, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed. He’s a big part of this offense when right, and figuring out if he’ll ever be healthy enough to play that big part in 2025 will be perhaps the single biggest decision facing Krall this summer, as upgrading the corner OF options in Hays’ stead would be paramount if that’s what it comes to.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...ade-season-rumors-rafael-devers-red-sox-trade

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Reds look to continue dominance of AL Central against the Twins in Cincinnati

Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Can they keep the good times rolling?

Four times the Cincinnati Reds have faced off against an opponent from the American League Central in a series so far in this 2025 season.

Four times the Cincinnati Reds have won those series against their AL Central foes, with on-the-road wins against the Guardians in Cleveland and Tigers in Detroit their most recent accomplishments on the ledger. On Tuesday, the Reds will begin their quest to further mince the AL Central as they welcome the Minnesota Twins to Great American Ball Park.

The Reds are 8-5 in the month of June and have ridden their offense to much of that success with ace Hunter Greene on the shelf. They’re the owner of a collective .335 wOBA this month - good for 4th best in all of baseball - and they’ve got superstar Elly De La Cruz on one of the greatest heaters of his young career at the moment. Among the 185 qualified hitters so far in June, nobody has a better wOBA than Elly’s .527 mark, and he’s currently riding a streak of four straight games in which he’s socked a homer.

While the Reds have climbed back into the NL playoff chase by reaching 37-35 overall, the Twins have slipped to just a 5-9 record so far in June after their brilliant 18-8 run in the month of May. They’re getting some consistent, healthy production from superstar Byron Buxton so far this year (131 OPS+ in 231 PA), so Cincinnati’s pitchers will have to deal with that.

The Reds, though, will once again continue their sneaky ability to dodge opposing teams’ aces in this series, as Joe Ryan - Minnesota’s overall team leader in bWAR (2.4) - is not scheduled to start in this three-game set. Hopefully, that sets the stage for Cincinnati to keep right on rollin’ through their Midwestern peers and up closer to that final NL Wild Card spot.

Pitching Matchups​

Tuesday, June 17th (7:10 PM ET): LHP Andrew Abbott vs. RHP David Festa

Wednesday, June 18th (7:10 PM ET): LHP Nick Lodolo vs. RHP Bailey Ober

Thursday, June 19th (12:40 PM ET): RHP Nick Martinez vs. RHP Chris Paddack

How to Watch​

Each of the three games of the series will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network. You can watch FDSN in-market through cable packages, though it’s also available to be streamed in-market with no blackout restrictions even without a cable subscription. You can check the link in the above sidebar (which I’ve re-linked right here) for more information on how you can do just that.

Per usual, you can view these final two games from outside the Reds TV market by catching the FDSN stream through MLB.tv.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/17/24450823/cincinnati-reds-minnesota-twins-preview-how-to-watch

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 74: Reds vs. Twins (7:10 PM EDT) - Lodolo vs. Ober

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Today's Lineups​

Byron Buxton - CF	TJ Friedl - CF
Ty France - 1B	Gavin Lux - DH
Carlos Correa - SS	Elly De La Cruz - SS
Matt Wallner - DH	Spencer Steer - 1B
Willi Castro - 2B	Will Benson - LF
Harrison Bader - LF	Jose Trevino - C
Brooks Lee - 3B	Santiago Espinal - 3B
Trevor Larnach - RF	Jake Fraley - RF
Christian Vazquez - C	Matt McLain - 2B
Bailey Ober - RHP	Nick Lodolo - LHP

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TWINS​

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REDS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/18/24451802/game-74-reds-vs-twins-7-10-pm-edt-lodolo-vs-ober

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 75: Reds vs. Twins (12:40 PM ET) - Martinez vs. Paddack

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Go Reds!

The Cincinnati Reds go for the series sweep over the Minnesota Twins today in Great American Ball Park in matinee action!

Nick Martinez gets the start for the Reds opposite Twins starter Chris Paddack.

First pitch is set for 12:40 PM ET. Lineups below!

Today's Lineups​

Byron Buxton - CF	TJ Friedl - CF
Matt Wallner - RF	Gavin Lux - DH
Willi Castro - LF	Elly De La Cruz - SS
Trevor Larnach - DH	Tyler Stephenson - C
Carlos Correa - SS	Spencer Steer - LF
Ty France - 1B	Will Benson - RF
Brooks Lee - 3B	Christian Encarnacion-Strand - 1B
Ryan Jeffers - C	Santiago Espinal - 3B
Kody Clemens - 2B	Matt McLain - 2B
Chris Paddack - RHP	Nick Martinez - RHP

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TWINS​

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REDS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/19/24452154/cincinnati-reds-minnesota-twins-nick-martinez

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Spencer Steer’s soggy heroics set up chance for a Reds sweep of Twins

Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wednesday sees the two clubs face off in matinee action.

Spencer Steer swatted a 2-run homer in the opening frame of Tuesday’s game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins.

The rain and thunder later swatted just as hard, sending the swing game between the two clubs at Great American Ball Park into a lengthy rain delay before the contest was finally called in favor of the Reds, 4-2, in the wee hours of the night.

Steer’s offensive heroics (2 for 2, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) were backed by an efficient Nick Lodolo, who tossed 6 innings of 2 ER ball on just 87 pitches, an outing that was good enough (and lengthy) enough to pick up a win (and a complete game designation). Bailey Ober of Minnesota, meanwhile, made it through 5.2 IP before the rains came in and shut down play, eventually ending things for good with 2 outs in the Bottom of the 6th.

That sets up Cincinnati, now 39-35 and 4 games over .500 for the first time all season, for a chance at a sweep on Thursday afternoon. They’ll be sending Nick Martinez to the bump to help spearhead that effort after already claiming victory in their fourth consecutive series.

Cincinnati opens play on Thursday just 0.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, and if everything played out perfectly on the slate today they could wake up tomorrow morning the owners of a playoff position.

That’s insignificant in the grand, 162-game scheme of things, but certainly not in the ~100 game sprint to the July trade deadline. Cincinnati, while hot, is a team that still has flaws that need patching, and jostling their way into legitimate playoff contenders through 70-75 games gives Nick Krall and Co. a handful of weeks with which to shop for the best possible upgrades to the roster that they can possibly find.

Manager Terry Francona has helped the Reds reach that level after numerous early season stumbles, and they’re generally playing some pretty excellent baseball these days. A win Thursday to cap a sweep of the Twins would be another feather in their caps as they next head into a Who’s Who slate of foes on their schedule - the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies between today and July 6th, a stretch of games that truly might determine the overall direction of their 2025 season.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...ati-reds-rain-shortened-minnesota-twins-sweep

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 76: Reds at Cardinals (7:15 PM ET) - Singer vs. Pallante

Go Reds!

The Cincinnati Reds square off against the St. Louis Cardinals in Busch Stadium III tonight, with Brady Singer on the mound looking to be much more the guy who allowed a lone earned run against the Detroit Tigers last time out than the guy who pitched to a 5.11 ERA across his previous twelve starts.

Andre Pallante goes for St. Louis as the Reds try to do more damage against RHP. To date, their .332 wOBA against righties ranks tied for the fourth best mark in all of baseball.

First pitch is set for 7:15 PM ET.

Go Reds!

Today's Lineups​

TJ Friedl - CF	Brendan Donovan - 2B
Gavin Lux - 3B	Masyn Winn - SS
Elly De La Cruz - SS	Alec Burleson - 1B
Tyler Stephenson - DH	Nolan Gorman - 3B
Spencer Steer - 1B	Thomas Saggese - DH
Will Benson - LF	Lars Nootbaar - LF
Jose Trevino - C	Jordan Walker - RF
Jake Fraley - RF	Pedro Pages - C
Matt McLain - 2B	Victor Scott - CF
Brady Singer - RHP	Andre Pallante - RHP

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REDS​

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CARDINALS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/20/24452903/cincinnati-reds-st-louis-cardinals-game

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Game 77: Reds at Cardinals (2:15 PM EDT) - Suter vs. Gray

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Today's Lineups​

TJ Friedl - CF	Brendan Donovan - 2B
Gavin Lux - DH	Masyn Winn - SS
Elly De La Cruz - SS	Alec Burleson - RF
Tyler Stephenson - C	Willson Contreras - 1B
Spencer Steer - 1B	Nolan Arenado - 3B
Will Benson - LF	Nolan Gorman - DH
Santiago Espinal - 3B	Lars Nootbaar - LF
Jake Fraley - RF	Pedro Pages - C
Matt McLain - 2B	Victor Scott - CF
Chase Petty - RHP	Sonny Gray - RHP

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REDS​

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CARDINALS​

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Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/21/24453267/game-77-reds-at-cardinals-2-15-pm-edt-suter-vs-gray

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Reds set to promote top prospect Chase Burns for MLB debut

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

He’s slated for Tuesday’s start against the New York Yankees.

Chase Burns has torched opposing hitters during his first season as a professional.

The former #2 overall draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds owns a sparkling 1.77 ERA and absurd 89/13 K/BB through 66.0 IP so far this year, and that’s come via stops with High-A Dayton, AA Chattanooga, and AAA Louisville across 13 starts.

It appears his next start will come at the big league level.

With the Cincinnati Reds down ace Hunter Greene, the young Rhett Lowder, and veteran Wade Miley, their rotation has taken quite the dent in recent weeks. The Reds, to their credit, seem unwilling to turn to mere rotational fodder in their quest to get back into the playoff race in 2025, and will now turn to Burns to get outs as a big leaguer.

So relays C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, who reported late Saturday evening that Burns will be called up to make Tuesday’s start for his debut - a start that will come against Aaron Judge and the vaunted New York Yankees.

Source: Chase Burns to start Tuesday vs. Yankees. More to come @theathletic.bsky.social soon

— C Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent.bsky.social) 2025-06-22T03:19:33.504Z

Burns, the #11 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, will help backfill a rotation that lost the aforementioned trio to various injuries so far this year and saw Nick Martinez step in admirably today against the St. Louis Cardinals on short rest to fire a pair of IP, too.

It’s a bold step for Nick Krall & Co. Usually ones to slow-play just about everything they can, it’s a more rapid step towards pushing their best and brightest prospects earlier, and the hope is that it’s because Burns is simply a generational talent and that they aren’t just desperate.

The next few weeks of the Reds schedule was already set to be perhaps the most crucial, watchable action of the season. It just got a helluva lot more interesting, too.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/...yankees-chase-burns-mlb-debut-rumors-prospect

 

[Cincinnati Reds]

Maybe, just maybe, the Reds have the real Matt McLain back

Photo by Ali Overstreet/MLB Photos via Getty Images

That’d be just as good as a trade!

There are plenty of times I will attempt to apologize or pick selective endpoints to support my own argument with Cincinnati Reds players. That’s the ‘fun’ part of breaking down stats, after all.

There’s no sugarcoating just how poor Matt McLain’s overall numbers are through 78 games of the 2025 season, though. There just isn’t.

Entering play on Sunday, he was the owner of just a 74 OPS+ and had struck out 77 times in 67 games - his 28.6% strikeout rate ranking 8th highest out of 160 qualifying MLB hitters through that time.

He missed all of 2024 after missing half of 2023. He’d battled multiple oblique issues as well as a major shoulder issue, and sitting idle - or anywhere other than the highest level at which the sport is played - is bound to create a metric heft of rust. McLain, we hope, has simply been finding his way through said rust and doing his damnedest to shake it off accordingly.

Maybe, just maybe, he has.

McLain homered again on Sunday as the Cincinnati Reds won 4-1 over the St. Louis Cardinals to salvage a game out of a series they were a breath away from winning, and it marked a pretty damn stellar full week for the Reds resident 2B. He came into Sunday having gone 9 for 20 with a pair of doubles on the week, his homer only adding to his weekly tally - one that’s good enough to take home this edition of the Joe Nuxhall Memorial Honorary Star of the Week award.

Without Sunday’s stats yet included, he’d hit .350/.422/.550 with a pair of doubles and pair of dingers datig back over his previous 12 games entering today’s game, so he’s clearly finding his way after struggling mightily through most of the first half of the season.

Reds manager Terry Francona, long a believer in McLain’s upside, has certainly been paying attention to said run. He moved McLain back up to the #2 spot in the batting order on Sunday prior to his homer, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him hitting there in between TJ Friedl and Elly De La Cruz for a good bit of time going forward, either.

Congrats to Matt, and for the sake of the Reds I truly hope this is just the first of many weekly takedowns he’ll earn going forward.

Source: https://www.redreporter.com/2025/6/23/24453991/matt-mclain-cincinnati-reds-rumors