Cincinnati Reds: The pitching staff is building key depth as they work to keep the run going
June 23—When the Cincinnati Reds were at their worst this season — early May and early June — the pitching staff was severely depleted, and the pitching was shallow.
Now, the pitching staff continues to deepen with more reinforcements on the way.
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On Monday, June 22, the Reds placed Pierce Johnson on the injured list. He was out for a couple of weeks with a swollen elbow, and is giving the bull some important hero/food in the right hand.
He’s a veteran who’s done it, been there and done it,” said Reds manager Terry Francona. “When there’s a known asset, it helps.
The Reds’ bullpen has had to rely heavily on veteran lefties Sam Moll, Brock Burke and Caleb Ferguson. As a result, in situations where the Reds needed a right-hander, Francona had to throw inexperienced pitchers like Chase Petty, Zach Maxwell or Luis Mey into the big game.
Johnson, the Reds’ second-highest-paid reliever, was signed to fill his current role.
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Closer Tony Santillan turned the corner again in June, looking like the dominant pitcher he was in 2025. As a result, with all these options, the bullpen depth is in a good place.
The unit should receive another significant reinforcement soon. Emilio Pagán is about to begin a rehab assignment, and he hopes he only needs one or a few more games before returning to the active lineup. Pagán has been out since early May with a hamstring injury.
Pagán accepts the pressure-filled role he returns to.
“We know we are a good team and we know what we can do,” said Pagán. “We know we can go on a run and win eight or 10 games in a row and put us in a position where now people are talking about us being the favorite in this division again. This game has a lot of runs. We know we have one of us.”
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On Tuesday, Hunter Greene pitched in a rehab game at Triple-A. He hasn’t pitched this year after having a spring training procedure to remove bone chips from his elbow. Greene is ahead of schedule, and a rehab workout at Rookie Ball last week went so well that the Reds’ pitching staff found Greene pitching four innings instead of three.
“We tried to empower the players and the coaches and the coaches,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “It can be hard to use common sense when there are issues. We tried to give them the strength to (say) this is going to be OK and we’re not going to jump down their throats. If you strictly follow the rule, you throw three innings and he doesn’t get anything. That helps.”
Greene’s ability to throw four innings in Arizona was another benchmark he reached ahead of schedule. If he returns, the Reds will add an All-Star caliber pitcher to the bowl. Greene could return as soon as July 3, which adds to the Reds’ confidence right now.
“Stay in the fight and run,” said Pagán. “Hunter’s return is going to be huge. When you have your best players on the field and you’re participating, that allows everyone to do what they do and not have more pressure on them.”
