Marlins Acquire Rece Hinds
The Marlins and Reds announced that they have made a trade sending outfielder Rece Hinds from Cincinnati to Miami. The Marlins optioned him to Triple-A Jacksonville and transferred left-hander Robby Snelling to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot. The Reds, who designated Hinds for assignment a few days ago, receive minor league right-hander Zach McCambley in return. The Marlins also recalled infielder Graham Pauley and placed infielder Leo Jiménez on the seven-day injured list with concussion symptoms.
Hinds, 25, has shown the potential to be a masher but hasn’t yet done that in a major league setting. In 131 big league plate appearances, he has a .172/.221/.426 line. But he hit five home runs in spring training this year, leading to a ridiculous .410/.465/.949 line. In Triple-A, dating back to the start of 2025, he has 31 home runs in 540 plate appearances a .303/.371/.576 line.
There is clearly some power there but the concern is when he doesn’t connect. Hinds has generally struck out in about a third of his plate appearances throughout his minor league career. In his brief big league action, he has a massive 42% strikeout rate.
There is a small hint of optimism in that department. At Triple-A, again dating back to the start of 2025, his strikeout rate is just 26.3%. That’s still above average but not as bad as his earlier minor league numbers, as he had a 35% strikeout rate from 2021 to 2024. He’s got some wheels and a good arm for right field, so he could be a real asset if he can get the strikeouts under control.
Hinds is in his final option year. The Marlins can keep him at Jacksonville for now and get a close-up look at his offensive approach. If there’s an injury in the big league outfield or he shows notable improvement, he could be called up.
The Reds moved on from Hinds but are able to turn him into some extra pitching depth. McCambley, 27, is a reliever who has shown some promise in the minors. The Phillies grabbed him in the Rule 5 draft in November but returned him to the Marlins at the end of spring training.
McCambley has a mid-90s four-seamer but that’s only his third pitch in terms of usage. He primarily throws his high-80s cutter and mid-80s slider, throwing each of those pitches about a third of the time. Four-seamers, sinkers, curveballs and changeups make up the other third.
Between last year and this year, he has thrown 67 1/3 Triple-A innings thus far, allowing 2.94 earned runs per nine. His 11.6% walk rate in that time is too high but he has punched out 30.3% of batters faced and induced a good amount of grounders as well. He is not on the 40-man roster but the Reds could call him up at some point down the line if they need a fresh arm or want to shake up their bullpen mix.
Snelling was diagnosed with a sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament last week. It’s not yet clear if he will undergo surgery but it’s not a surprise to see him transferred to the 60-day IL. Even the non-surgical paths back from a UCL sprain require lengthy recovery periods. He will technically be eligible for reinstatement in July but time will tell what a realistic timeline is for his return.
As for Jiménez, he exited yesterday’s game with an apparent injury. As Ronald Acuña Jr. was sliding into third base, Jiménez tried to tag him and the two collided, as seen in this clip from MLB.com. As Jiménez recovers, Pauley will get another shot in the big leagues. Pauley is a strong defender at third base but his offense is more questionable. He hit .173/.225/.293 for the Fish earlier this year before getting optioned to Jacksonville. He hit three homers in nine games for the Jumbo Shrimp and will now try to produce more offense in the big leagues.
Pauley has one option year remaining. A player burns an option year once they spend 20 days on optional assignment. It was two weeks ago that Pauley was sent down, so he still has a chance to carry that option into 2027 if he stays up from here on out.
The Hinds/McCambley trade and Pauley’s recall were first reflected in the transactions tracker at MLB.com. Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald first reported that Jiménez would go on the IL. The Snelling move came from the official team announcement.
2026-27 Club Options: NL Central
In recent weeks, MLBTR has looked forward to next winter’s option classes. We’ll move now to the NL Central, where the Cubs have a number of low-cost options to weigh.
Previous: AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East
Chicago Cubs
- Matthew Boyd, LHP: $15MM mutual option ($2MM buyout)
Mutual options are essentially never exercised, so Boyd will be paid the $2MM buyout and return to free agency next winter. That’ll conclude a two-year, $29MM free agent deal that worked out well. Boyd’s 3.21 ERA over 31 starts a year ago essentially paid for the contract on its own.
The second season isn’t going as planned. Boyd missed a couple weeks in April with a biceps strain and suffered a more significant meniscus injury in his left knee earlier this month. He underwent surgery that’ll keep him out into late June at the earliest. The Cubs probably aren’t keen on their end of the option.
- Hunter Harvey, RHP: $8MM mutual option ($1MM buyout)
Chicago added Harvey on a one-year, $6MM deal in December. The talented but oft-injured reliever only pitched four times before landing on the injured list with triceps inflammation. Further testing this month revealed a stress reaction that’ll keep him down for a while. This will be an easy pass for the team.
- Carson Kelly, C: $7.5MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Kelly has outperformed his two-year, $11.5MM deal signed in December 2024. Initially brought in as a veteran complement to Miguel Amaya, the 31-year-old Kelly has earned the majority of the playing time. He’s a .261/.344/.421 hitter with 19 homers over his season-plus in Chicago. He’s fourth among primary catchers this season with a .381 on-base percentage. Kelly has a strong case for another two-year contract at a better annual rate than the option price, so his camp should have an easy time passing.
- Colin Rea, RHP: $7.5MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Rea, a 35-year-old swingman, is in the second season of his second stint with the Cubs. He’s clearly a favorite of skipper Craig Counsell, who also managed him in Milwaukee in 2021 and ’23. Rea pitched pretty well last season, managing a sub-4.00 ERA while starting 27 of 32 games. The Cubs had a $6MM team option for 2026, but the sides agreed to a restructured extension that guaranteed Rea $6.5MM in exchange for the righty tacking on a similarly priced club option for 2027.
Injuries again quickly pushed Rea from long relief into a back-end rotation spot. He hasn’t performed as well as he did last season, allowing nearly five earned per nine across 47 frames. Rea had consecutive quality starts against the Phillies in mid-April but has surrendered a 7.04 ERA over his past five times out.
Rea’s strikeout, walk and home run rates are all virtually identical to last season’s. There haven’t been any meaningful changes to his pitch mix or velocity. He’s essentially the same pitcher, with this year’s ERA spike mostly due to a higher average on balls in play. That’s always a risk for a pitcher like Rea who pounds the strike zone but doesn’t have overpowering stuff.
The Cubs will presumably look for a rotation upgrade or two in July that can push him back into a relief role. A buyout seems likelier than them picking up the option, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if they try to bring him back a slightly lower price given his flexibility in usage.
- Caleb Thielbar, LHP: $6MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
Chicago brought back Thilebar on a $4.5MM deal after he worked 58 innings of 2.64 ERA ball in 2025. The southpaw is making $4MM this year and will earn a $500K buyout at season’s end. He missed just under a month with a left hamstring strain and has been limited to 12 appearances. Thilebar has recorded 11 punchouts while allowing four runs (three earned) across 9 2/3 innings. The Cubs will probably pass on their end but could have interest in keeping Thielbar around for his age-40 season at slightly less money.
- Jacob Webb, RHP: $2.5MM club option (no buyout)
The Rangers surprisingly non-tendered Webb after he turned in 66 innings with an even 3.00 earned run average. Chicago signed him to a $1.5MM free agent deal that includes a $2.5MM team option for 2027. The righty has been a nice addition to Counsell’s middle relief corps, striking out a quarter of opponents with a 3.05 ERA over 20 2/3 innings. He’s getting swinging strikes and chases off the plate at career-best rates.
Webb has allowed right around three earned runs per nine in three straight seasons. His market has never really materialized, but a $2.5MM option is cheap enough that the Cubs would very likely bring him back if he keeps this pace all year.
The Cubs hold a $3.3MM club option on RHP Javier Assad. He’ll remain eligible for arbitration through at least 2028 even if the option is declined.
Cincinnati Reds
- Pierce Johnson, RHP: $8MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Cincinnati picked up Johnson on a one-year, $6.5MM deal after the Braves bought him out. The veteran righty has allowed eight runs over 19 1/3 innings with league average strikeout and walk numbers. His 9.3% swinging strike rate is a career low. Johnson is an MLB-caliber arm but more of a middle reliever than a setup man at age 35. An $8MM option price is too rich on the Reds’ end.
- Eugenio Suárez, DH/3B: $16MM mutual option
Cincinnati brought Suárez back on a one-year, $15MM deal late in the winter. It looked like a nice bargain pickup for a team that needed offense. Suárez’s age evidently tamped down long-term interest, but he hit 49 home runs a year ago. The return has started slowly, as he hit .231/.300/.363 through 100 plate appearances before sustaining a left oblique strain that sent him to the injured list. He began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville yesterday.
The Reds will also pay a $3MM buyout to released infielder Jeimer Candelario.
Milwaukee Brewers
- Luis Rengifo, 3B: $10MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Milwaukee bought low on Rengifo with a $3.5MM deal in Spring Training. He’s making a $2MM salary and due a $1.5MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option. They haven’t gotten anything close to the desired bounce back. The switch-hitting utilityman carries a .199/.262/.257 line without a home run over 150 plate appearances. Third base feels like a priority for the Brewers at the deadline, at which point they could move on from Rengifo entirely.
- Gary Sánchez, C: Mutual option
The terms of Sánchez’s mutual option were never reported. He signed a $1.75MM guarantee to return to Milwaukee as a backup catcher/part-time DH. Although Sánchez is only hitting .198, he has walked 20 times and hit five home runs in 108 plate appearances. The Brewers will eventually want a look at prospect Jeferson Quero, but William Contreras will be an offseason trade candidate with free agency looming after 2027. They could look to keep Sánchez around as a cheap #2 catcher.
Milwaukee holds a $14.5MM club option on C William Contreras for his final season of arbitration. He’ll remain under team control if Milwaukee declines.
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Marcell Ozuna, DH: $16MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Pittsburgh added Ozuna late in the offseason on a $12MM deal. It didn’t make much sense at the time since it locked all of Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe and Spencer Horwitz into defensive spots without a fallback at designated hitter. Ozuna was also coming off a mediocre second half and playing in one of the toughest home parks for right-handed power.
Ozuna had an atrocious April. He’s at least drawing a lot of walks in May, but his season .179/.275/.305 line isn’t cutting it. It goes without saying that the Pirates aren’t exercising a $16MM option. The bigger question is whether they’ll keep Ozuna on the roster all year.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Dustin May, RHP: $20MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
May commanded a surprisingly strong $12.5MM guarantee despite coming off a 4.96 ERA season between the Dodgers and Red Sox. He’s making a $12MM salary and will collect a $500K buyout on the $20MM mutual option at season’s end. May has stayed healthy and taken all nine turns through the rotation, but he’ll take a 4.81 ERA into today’s start against the Pirates. His strikeout and whiff rates are well below average despite his 97 mph fastball. While May’s power stuff and early-career success have continued to intrigue teams, the recent performance has been that of a fifth starter. The Cardinals aren’t signing up for a $20MM option.
- Ryne Stanek, RHP: $6MM club option (no buyout)
St. Louis added the hard-throwing Stanek on a $3.5MM deal in January. They wanted an experienced leverage arm who could compete for the closing role and potentially be a midseason trade asset. Riley O’Brien seized the ninth inning, leaving Stanek alongside JoJo Romero and George Soriano in the setup group.
Stanek continues to sit around 98 mph and generate above-average strikeout and whiff rates. His already problematic control has pushed even further, though, and he’s walking nearly 18% of opposing hitters. It’s the third-highest mark among pitchers with at least 20 innings. The free passes have resulted in a 6.30 ERA over 23 appearances. Teams are inclined to bet on pitchers with this kind of stuff, but Stanek will need a better second half to convince the Cardinals (or a potential midseason trade partner) to bring him back for $6MM.
- Ramón Urías, 3B: $4MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
St. Louis added Urías on a $2MM free agent deal during Spring Training. He’s making $1.5MM in salary and will be paid a $500K buyout. Urías limped to a .158/.279/.316 start over 25 games before landing on the injured list with tennis elbow.
Reds Announce Five Roster Moves
The Reds made five moves prior to today’s game with the Guardians, including the placement of catcher Jose Trevino on the 10-day injured list. Trevino is dealing with a left hamstring injury, and he’ll be replaced on the active roster by catcher P.J. Higgins, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville. To create room for Higgins on the 40-man roster, Cincinnati designated outfielder Rece Hinds for assignment. In two other moves to get a fresh arm into the bullpen, the Reds called up right-hander Jose Franco from Triple-A, and optioned righty Luis Mey.
This is already the second IL stint of the year for Trevino, who missed about three weeks in April due to a thoracic spine sprain. Trevino hasn’t contributed much when he has been able to play, delivering only a .143/.172/.179 slash line over 30 plate appearances. Though Trevino is far better known for his strong defense than his subpar hitting over his career, the combined lack of production from Trevino, Higgins, and starter Tyler Stephenson have resulted in a -0.1 bWAR from the Reds’ catching position this season.
Higgins had his minor league contract selected to the 26-man roster when Trevino was first sidelined in April, and Higgins posted a .450 OPS over 12 plate appearances while appearing in five games. Upon Trevino’s return, the Reds designated Higgins for assignment and then outrighted him to Triple-A, with Higgins opting to stay in the organization rather than reject the outright in favor of free agency.
That decision has now rather quickly led to another stint in the majors for Higgins, even if he’ll likely be DFA’ed again once Trevino is healthy. Higgins has signed minor league deals with the Reds in each of the last three offseasons, and his five games in April marked his first taste of MLB action since 2022, when he appeared in 74 games with the Cubs.
A second-round pick for the Reds in the 2019 draft, Hinds hit .261/.333/.717 with five homers in 51 plate appearances after making his MLB debut in 2024. Those early fireworks didn’t carry over, however, as Hinds hit only .118/.150/.250 over 80 PA (with 39 strikeouts) during the 2025-26 seasons.
The near-total lack of production at the big league level has now made Hinds expendable in Cincinnati’s view, though manager Terry Francona is still a supporter. “Maybe for his sake, I really hope he gets an opportunity he didn’t get here,” Francona told Charlie Goldsmith and other reporters today. “I love the kid. There are obviously tools there. Sometimes, things have a way of working out for guys.”
To Francona’s point about Hinds’ tools, Hinds has been crushing Triple-A pitching for the last two seasons, he has elite speed, and he has the ability to play all three outfield positions. Though Hinds’ Triple-A strikeout rate is still at 27.9%, he has greatly increased his walk total in Louisville. It seems quite possible that another team might be intrigued enough to claim Hinds off the waiver wire, but if he does clear waivers, he doesn’t have the ability to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A.
Reds Outright P.J. Higgins
The Reds have sent catcher P.J. Higgins outright to Triple-A Louisville, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. He has the right to elect free agency but it isn’t stated whether or not he will do so.
Higgins, 33, signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason. He was added to the roster in April when Jose Trevino hit the injured list due to a thoracic spine strain. Higgins was optioned to Triple-A later that month when Trevino came off the IL. During few weeks on the active roster, he appeared in six games and stepped to the plate 12 times. He struck out four times, drew one walk and picked up two hits, both singles.
That was the third time he had played in a major league season, though the other two were with the Cubs back in 2021 and 2022. He has a .209/.289/.342 line in 266 big league plate appearances on the whole. He’s generally been considered a decent defender in the minors. At the plate, he has done some good work, with a .273/.346/.405 line at Triple-A dating back to the start of 2021. His Triple-A line is just .133/.364/.133 this year, though in a small sample of 44 plate appearances.
Since Higgins has been outrighted in the past, he has the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency. The Reds probably hope that he sticks around or can be re-signed to a new minor league deal. Tyler Stephenson and Trevino are the only two backstops on the 40-man right now, so they’re a bit light on depth to cover for a potential injury to one of those two guys. Will Banfield is in the system on a minor league deal but he has only seven games of big league experience. If Higgins departs, the Reds could look to add depth in other ways. For instance, old friend Austin Wynns was just released by the Athletics.
Photo courtesy of Sam Greene, Imagn Images.
Reds Designate P.J. Higgins For Assignment
The Reds have designated catcher P.J. Higgins for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster goes to veteran righty Chris Paddack, whose previously reported agreement with Cincinnati has now been officially announced. Right-hander Rhett Lowder has been placed on the 15-day injured list to open an active roster spot. Manager Terry Francona said a couple days ago that Lowder would be IL-bound due to shoulder troubles. The team’s formal designation at this time is a vague “right shoulder pain.”
The 33-year-old Higgins appeared in six games with the Reds and took 12 plate appearances, going 2-for-10 with a pair of singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly in that time. He’s now played sparingly in parts of three big league seasons. In a total of 89 games and 266 plate appearances, the former 12th-rounder out of Old Dominion is a .209/.289/.342 hitter with six home runs, a 9.4% walk rate and a 26.3% strikeout rate.
Higgins obviously hasn’t hit much in his limited major league experience, but he’s been a solid hitter in parts of seven Triple-A seasons: .274/.349/.414. He’s thwarted a strong 29% of stolen base attempts against him in the minors. Baseball Prospectus credits him as a plus framer with slightly above-average blocking skills at the Triple-A level. The Reds will have five days to trade Higgins or place him on outright waivers. That’d be a 48-hour process. His DFA window will last a maximum of one week. Higgins has been outrighted in the past, so if he passes through waivers, he’d be able to elect free agency.
As for Lowder, while the IL placement was known to be coming, the formal announcement provides little in the way of clarity. Presumably, Francona will provide more information when he meets with the Reds beat later today. Lowder, the seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft, missed the 2025 season due to a flexor strain. He pitched well through his first six starts (3.18 ERA) but has been blown up for 11 runs over 4 1/3 innings in his past two outings.
Reds Sign Chris Paddack
1:29pm: The Reds announced that they have signed Paddack to a big league deal and that he will start Saturday’s game. Lowder’s IL placement was the corresponding active roster move. Catcher P.J. Higgins was designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot. You can read more about Higgins here.
11:57am: The Reds and veteran righty Chris Paddack are in agreement on a contract, reports Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19. The Boras Corporation client was released by the Marlins earlier this week after being designated for assignment.
Paddack, 30, signed a one-year, $4MM contract with Miami over the winter but had a short leash after an ugly start to his season. He made just seven appearances (six starts) and was tagged for a 7.63 ERA in 30 2/3 frames. Paddack struggled to work deep into games, completing five frames only once. He struck out a below-average 18.5% of his opponents but notched a characteristically sharp 6.8% walk rate.
Paddack was once a well-regarded prospect who had an outstanding rookie campaign in 2019. He pitched 140 2/3 innings of 3.33 ERA ball for the 2019 Padres — a performance that would make him a Rookie of the Year finalist, if not winner, in just about any other season. He was up against Pete Alonso‘s 53 homers, Michael Soroka‘s 174 2/3 innings of 2.68 ERA ball, and the debut campaigns of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bryan Reynolds, however, so he wasn’t even on the Rookie of the Year radar despite that stellar debut.
That debut now feels like a distant memory, as Paddack has been set back by injuries at multiple points and has never recaptured his 2019 form. Paddack missed time with a UCL sprain in 2021 and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022. His 2024 season was shortened by a forearm strain. All in all, he’s pitched 471 2/3 innings since that rookie showing and logged a 5.23 ERA. Paddack has good command but hasn’t missed many bats since his rookie season and is far too homer-prone (a daunting trait for any pitcher calling Great American Ball Park his home).
Cincinnati’s rotation is quite banged up at the moment, however. Hunter Greene underwent elbow surgery back in March and is out until midseason. Brandon Williamson was recently placed on the 60-day injured list due to shoulder troubles. Rhett Lowder was just placed on the 15-day IL yesterday due to a shoulder issue of his own. There’s no indication yet that Brady Singer will require an IL stint, but the right-hander took a comebacker off his right foot in yesterday’s game. He stayed in the contest but struggled thereafter, allowing three runs over the next inning-plus before being lifted in the fourth.
The Reds’ in-house depth options have been struggling down in Triple-A. Chase Petty, Jose Franco and Julian Aguiar have all been hit hard, to varying levels. Paddack will add another option for the back of the rotation and do so in affordable fashion. Cincinnati will only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster. The Marlins are on the hook for the remainder of this year’s $4MM salary.
Reds To Place Rhett Lowder On 15-Day Injured List
The Reds will place right-hander Rhett Lowder on the 15-day injured list prior to Tuesday’s game against the Nationals. Manager Terry Francona told reporters (including the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Pat Brennan) that Lowder was headed to the IL prior to today’s 5-0 victory over the Astros, though the Reds opted against making a transaction to add a fresh arm to the bullpen for today’s contest. Cincinnati will use Monday’s off-day to evaluate their rotation plans before officially sidelining Lowder, though waiting until Tuesday means that Lowder’s IL stint can be backdated only until May 9.
Lowder’s last start came on May 7, when he allowed three runs in three innings against the Cubs and was pulled due to what was termed as right shoulder discomfort. An MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, and Francona said Lowder received an injection to help with the discomfort. Lowder will continue to throw for the time being for not off a mound, and Francona indicated that the IL placement is somewhat precautionary.
“Our thought was we’re trying not to put a bandaid on something,” Francona said. “We want this kid to be able to pitch, and pitch for a long time and not get interrupted so, hopefully, a couple weeks down will do him a world of good.”
After posting a 1.17 ERA in his first 30 2/3 big league innings in 2024, Lowder was unable to follow up on that impressive debut due to forearm and oblique injuries that limited him to only 9 1/3 minor league innings in 2025. Returning to action as part of Cincinnati’s Opening Day rotation, Lowder managed a 3.18 ERA over his first six starts before things went south in his last two outings. Lowder’s abbreviated start against the Cubs came five days after the Pirates torched him for eight runs over just 1 1/3 innings.
Some regression was probably due given Lowder’s lackluster Statcast metrics, and his 5.40 ERA is a closer match to his 5.05 SIERA. Lowder has only a 16.3% strikeout rate this season and a 16.7K% for his brief MLB career, as the strong strikeout ability he showed in the minors has yet to carry over to the Show.
With Lowder heading to the IL, the Reds again find themselves down three starting pitchers. Nick Lodolo only just made his season debut on Friday after missing time due to blister issues, Brandon Williamson went on the 60-day IL earlier this week due to shoulder fatigue, and ace Hunter Greene remains out until midseason after undergoing surgery in March to have bone chips removed from his throwing elbow.
Monday’s off-day provides a bit of a reset for the pitching staff, but the likeliest scenario is that Chase Petty will again be called up from Triple-A to fill in for Lowder. Petty made his first appearance of 2026 by filling in for Williamson last Monday, and Petty allowed three runs over 5 2/3 frames in a 5-4 Reds loss to the Nationals.
NL Central Notes: Woodruff, Lockridge, Suarez, Lowder
Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff was back with the club for a series against the Yankees after having fluid removed from his shoulder. He’ll play catch this weekend as he nears a return to the mound, relays Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Woodruff’s progression is encouraging, considering how he looked in his most recent outing. The veteran was removed after just six batters during an April 30 start against the Diamondbacks. His fastball was down more than 7 mph. Woodruff was soon placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.
The 33-year-old Woodruff has dealt with shoulder and lat injuries for the past three years. He missed all of 2024 due to shoulder surgery. Even before the outing against Arizona, Woodruff’s velocity was down slightly from last season. He’s several years removed from averaging mid-90s with the heater.
Despite operating at a lower velocity, Woodruff has been effective. He’s working with three fastballs these days, adding a cutter to his four-seamer and sinker. The veteran is throwing his changeup more than ever. Woodruff delivered a 3.20 ERA with a career-best 32.3% strikeout rate in a dozen starts last year. The strikeouts are down this season, but he has a solid 3.60 ERA through 30 innings.
Here’s more from around the division…
- Brewers outfielder Brandon Lockridge seems to have escaped serious injury after crashing into the wall on Friday against the Yankees. He was carted off the field and needed nine stitches to address a deep cut near his knee. Lockridge was back in the clubhouse on Saturday and hopes to return after close to a minimum stint on the IL, per McCalvy. Manager Pat Murphy was less optimistic, expecting the outfielder to miss at least a month. Blake Perkins was recalled to take Lockridge’s spot on the roster.
- Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez took 50 swings on Thursday as he works his way back from a strained oblique, relays FOX 19’s Charlie Goldsmith. The veteran infielder hasn’t played since April 22. Suarez was off to a difficult start in his second stint with Cincinnati, slashing .231/.300/.363 across 100 plate appearances. After matching a career high with 49 home runs in 2025, he’s left the yard just three times this year.
- Also from Goldsmith, Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder isn’t dealing with any structural damage in his shoulder. He received an injection and could throw a bullpen on Sunday. Lowder left after three innings on Thursday against the Cubs. He hasn’t been placed on the IL yet. Cincinnati got lefty Nick Lodolo back on Friday. He took the spot of right-hander Chase Petty, who is scheduled to start at Triple-A on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of Benny Sieu, Imagn Images
Reds Select Tejay Antone
The Reds announced they have selected the contact of right-hander Tejay Antone and activated right-hander Pierce Johnson from the bereavement list. In corresponding active roster moves, they optioned right-hander Chase Petty and placed righty Emilio Pagán on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. To open a 40-man spot for Antone, left-hander Brandon Williamson has been transferred to the 60-day IL. C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reported on Antone’s promotion prior to the official announcement.
It’s a pretty incredible moment for Antone, considering all that he’s been through. For years, he’s been dealing with an incredibly unfortunate series of injuries and surgeries. He first underwent Tommy John surgery as a minor leaguer in 2017 then required another one in August of 2021. He missed the 2022 season while rehabbing from that procedure. A number of setbacks prevented him from returning until late in 2023. He required yet another major elbow surgery early in 2024 after tearing a tendon off his bone and suffering a ligament tear.
The Reds outrighted Antone off the roster following that 2024 season. He was back on the mound in 2025, making a few minor league appearances in August and September. He re-signed with the Reds on a new minor league deal for 2026. He has logged 12 Triple-A appearances so far this year, allowing 2.25 earned runs per nine. He has struck out 15 of the 49 batters he has faced, a strong clip of 30.6%. His control hasn’t been perfect, perhaps not surprising for a guy who has missed so much time. His six walks lead to high rate of 12.2% and he has also hit a batter and thrown two wild pitches.
Due to all those injuries, Antone only threw 36 official innings over the four-year span from 2022 to 2025, majors and minors combined. At this point, it’s anyone’s guess what he can provide going forward, but his recent results have been encouraging and his previous track record was good. Over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, he gave the Reds 69 innings with a 2.48 ERA, 32.3% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate. Just making it back to the majors surely feels like a huge accomplishment for Antone but any success from here on out would be icing on the cake.
Williamson hit the 15-day IL at the end of April due to shoulder fatigue. His current status is unclear but it’s not a good sign that he’s been quickly moved to the 60-day IL. He also spent some time on the IL due to a shoulder strain in 2024.
Pagán clearly injured himself in yesterday’s game, grabbing at his hamstring and needing to be carted off the field. He tells reporters today, including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, that he’ll miss about four to eight weeks. He added that he’s actually pleasantly surprised because he figured his season was over, given the amount of pain he was in. Guys like Tony Santillan and Graham Ashcraft will probably have to step up to help with save situations while Pagán is sidelined.
Petty was just recalled but that was apparently for a spot start. Nick Lodolo is listed as Friday’s starter, so it seems he’ll come off the IL to rejoin the rotation alongside Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns.
Photo courtesy of Frank Bowen IV, Imagn Images
MLB Issues Three-Game Suspension To Chris Devenski
Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that Pirates righty Chris Devenski has been given a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for what the league believes to have been intentionally throwing at Reds infielder Sal Stewart in Saturday’s game. That will go into effect tonight, unless Devenski files an appeal. He’d remain eligible to pitch while the appeal process plays out. Pittsburgh skipper Don Kelly also received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine. He’s expected to serve his suspension tonight.
The incident Saturday occurred in a game the Pirates led 15-to-6 (video link). Stewart stepped into the batter’s box and called time just as Devenski was coming set. He stepped out briefly, and upon digging back in was greeted with a 92 mph waist-high sinker that tailed inside and nearly hit Stewart. Although he managed to jump out of the way, Stewart was clearly perturbed and barked at Devenski, who walked several steps toward home plate. The umpiring crew convened and ultimately ejected Devenski, prompting an angry visit from Kelly.
“Going hard in to start an at-bat,” Devenski said after the game when asked about the ejection (video link). “I know the guy likes to dive over [the plate]. That’s about it. Just trying to execute my pitch there, and I think he took it the wrong way. It is what it is, but I’m not going to back down from anything, either.”
Devenski plainly stated that the pitch wasn’t intentionally thrown at Stewart. “[I’ve] been around the game a long time … If I was going to do anything like that…” Devenski trailed off with a light chuckle, seemingly implying that the location might’ve been different had there been true intent behind the pitch. “Not in that situation. Just trying to get outs,” he added.
The Pirates only selected Devenski to the major league roster last Friday. He’d been pitching in Triple-A Indianapolis on a minor league contract and pitching quite well, allowing just one run with a 15-to-2 K/BB ratio in 10 2/3 innings. He’s pitched 2 2/3 frames with the big league club and allowed a pair of runs on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts.
Time will tell whether Devenski appeals and whether the suspension holds up. If he opts not to appeal, the Pirates will play a man down for the next three games. On the plus side, the ‘pen is very fresh after Braxton Ashcraft worked 7 2/3 brilliant innings Sunday and the team had an off day yesterday.