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In the Cincinnati Reds’ bullpen, things are changing very quickly during a very uneven stretch of that unit.
While the struggles have gone on throughout May, the adversity has really picked up over the last week. Graham Ashcraft went on the 60-day injured list with a strain in his elbow. He had been pitching as well as any reliever in the Reds’ bullpen, and he provided a unique type of versatility with his abilities to attack both lefties and righties.
Then, the next day, veteran middle reliever Pierce Johnson went on the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation. Fortunately for the Reds, Johnson’s injury looks more minor.
In the meantime, the Reds are searching for consistency in the back of their bullpen.
“It’s taking every day day by day and not panicking too much,” reliever Brock Burke said. “We take every day at a time. Every series is a new series. Once that day is over and the next day starts, flush it. Learn from your mistakes and try to be better the next time.”
In April, the Reds had one of the best bullpens in baseball. The unit looked like a strength. But injuries to Pagán, Johnson and Ashcraft as well as inconsistency from Tony Santillan have really impacted that unit. Also, rookies who had the potential to step up and play massive roles couldn’t throw enough strikes. Connor Phillips, Zach Maxwell, Luis Mey and Lyon Richardson haven’t performed well in opportunities in the big leagues at different points of the season.
Maxwell summed up the mindset that the young relievers have been aiming to achieve.
“You’ve just got to attack,” Maxwell said. “You can’t get behind. You can’t be in their counts. You’ve got to get in your own counts.”
The Reds are searching for late-game relievers to join Burke at the back of the bullpen and replace some of the innings that Pagán, Ashcraft and Johnson provided.
“To be able to fill those roles back in, we’ll take every day a day at a time,” Burke said. “Every game is a 0-0 ballgame. We’ll go from there.”
Tuesday was a busy day from a transaction standpoint as the Reds designated for assignment Richardson and Brandon Leibrandt. The Reds called back up Mey and added reliever Zach McCambley to the roster.
McCambley has had an eventful year. He was picked by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft but returned to the Marlins when he didn’t make Philadelphia’s Opening Day roster. Then in May, the Marlins traded him to the Reds for Rece Hinds.
“It was pretty quick,” McCambley said. “I threw three innings last Wednesday. I went about my day like normal. I woke up and got the call that I had the trade. Pack my stuff and get on going. It was a very quick process.”
McCambley was called up to the Reds’ roster on Tuesday and brings versatility with the ability to generate swing and miss.
The Reds are also counting on veterans Caleb Ferguson and Tejay Antone to get their legs under them after their comebacks from injuries. They haven’t been used quite as much recently, but they’ll be big pieces in getting the bullpen back on track.
With so much inconsistency in the bullpen, manager Terry Francona has stuck with Santillan in high-leverage stuff. As much as Santillan has struggled this year, he was one of the most valuable relievers in MLB in 2025. The Reds are counting on him reaching that level again.
Veteran pitcher Chris Paddack is expected to join the bullpen on Wednesday. He had been starting in the rotation. But with Rhett Lowder available to return soon from the injured list, Paddack can slot in as another long relief option for the Reds as the Reds anticipate Lowder’s return.
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While the struggles have gone on throughout May, the adversity has really picked up over the last week. Graham Ashcraft went on the 60-day injured list with a strain in his elbow. He had been pitching as well as any reliever in the Reds’ bullpen, and he provided a unique type of versatility with his abilities to attack both lefties and righties.
Then, the next day, veteran middle reliever Pierce Johnson went on the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation. Fortunately for the Reds, Johnson’s injury looks more minor.
In the meantime, the Reds are searching for consistency in the back of their bullpen.
“It’s taking every day day by day and not panicking too much,” reliever Brock Burke said. “We take every day at a time. Every series is a new series. Once that day is over and the next day starts, flush it. Learn from your mistakes and try to be better the next time.”
In April, the Reds had one of the best bullpens in baseball. The unit looked like a strength. But injuries to Pagán, Johnson and Ashcraft as well as inconsistency from Tony Santillan have really impacted that unit. Also, rookies who had the potential to step up and play massive roles couldn’t throw enough strikes. Connor Phillips, Zach Maxwell, Luis Mey and Lyon Richardson haven’t performed well in opportunities in the big leagues at different points of the season.
Maxwell summed up the mindset that the young relievers have been aiming to achieve.
“You’ve just got to attack,” Maxwell said. “You can’t get behind. You can’t be in their counts. You’ve got to get in your own counts.”
The Reds are searching for late-game relievers to join Burke at the back of the bullpen and replace some of the innings that Pagán, Ashcraft and Johnson provided.
“To be able to fill those roles back in, we’ll take every day a day at a time,” Burke said. “Every game is a 0-0 ballgame. We’ll go from there.”
Tuesday was a busy day from a transaction standpoint as the Reds designated for assignment Richardson and Brandon Leibrandt. The Reds called back up Mey and added reliever Zach McCambley to the roster.
McCambley has had an eventful year. He was picked by the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft but returned to the Marlins when he didn’t make Philadelphia’s Opening Day roster. Then in May, the Marlins traded him to the Reds for Rece Hinds.
“It was pretty quick,” McCambley said. “I threw three innings last Wednesday. I went about my day like normal. I woke up and got the call that I had the trade. Pack my stuff and get on going. It was a very quick process.”
McCambley was called up to the Reds’ roster on Tuesday and brings versatility with the ability to generate swing and miss.
The Reds are also counting on veterans Caleb Ferguson and Tejay Antone to get their legs under them after their comebacks from injuries. They haven’t been used quite as much recently, but they’ll be big pieces in getting the bullpen back on track.
With so much inconsistency in the bullpen, manager Terry Francona has stuck with Santillan in high-leverage stuff. As much as Santillan has struggled this year, he was one of the most valuable relievers in MLB in 2025. The Reds are counting on him reaching that level again.
Veteran pitcher Chris Paddack is expected to join the bullpen on Wednesday. He had been starting in the rotation. But with Rhett Lowder available to return soon from the injured list, Paddack can slot in as another long relief option for the Reds as the Reds anticipate Lowder’s return.
Continue reading...
