Tuesday, June 02

CINCINNATI -- June is here, and that means it's just over two months until the Trade Deadline. 

After a 10-17 record in May that saw the Reds drop from the top of the National League Central division to the bottom, the club's approach to the Aug. 3 Deadline still hasn't been defined. 

“We’re trying to keep our heads above water right now,” president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. “We’ve had some pitching injuries. Obviously, it’s trying to get some of those guys back. But at the same time, you have a lot of good teams in this league.  

“If we can keep our heads above water, we have a shot to hang in there. You’re going to have to take some more time before we can figure out exactly who we are and what we can do.” 

Hence, Krall can't indicate whether Cincinnati (30-29) would be buyers or sellers. 

“It’s way too early to say at this point,” he said. “You’d like to be in position to buy, no matter who you are. That’s your goal.” 

One thing is crystal clear. The Reds can't wait for the Trade Deadline to address their bullpen situation, and their baseball operations department is focused on finding capable relievers. 

Closer Emilio Pagán (left hamstring strain), set-up men Graham Ashcraft (right UCL sprain) and Pierce Johnson (right elbow inflammation) are all on the injured list. Connor Phillips struggled to throw strikes and was optioned to Triple-A Louisville.  

Of the eight relievers on Cincinnati's Opening Day roster, only three are currently active in Tony Santillan, Sam Moll and Brock Burke. While Moll and Burke have largely been dependable, Santillan went from having a 1.98 ERA in 14 March/April appearances to an 11.00 ERA in 11 appearances in May while giving up six home runs. 

Overall, the Reds bullpen's 5.00 ERA is ranked 27th in the Major Leagues. The group also leads the Majors with 142 walks. As of April 28, it was the best in baseball with a 2.83 ERA. 

“As of right now, we haven’t found anybody we can get,” Krall said. “We’d love to figure out a stabilized bullpen." 

Where are other areas the Reds could look to improve?  

Offense/leadoff spot 

Cincinnati's .180 average from the leadoff spot this season is ranked 30th out of 30 clubs, and its .273 on-base percentage from the top of the order is 28th.  

This was a spot that was figured to be set with TJ Friedl heading into the season. But Friedl's production has plummeted him way out of the lineup altogether. Manager Terry Francona has also used Matt McLain, Dane Myers, Will Benson, JJ Bleday and, most recently, Blake Dunn to bat first, but he hasn't found a consistent catalyst. 

McLain has also struggled most of the season and, after batting second for much of the first month, has been dropped to the bottom portion of the order. 

Starting pitching 

The 2026 Reds are the eleventy billionth example of why clubs can never have too many rotation options. Figured to be among the deepest groups in baseball heading into Spring Training, injuries to Hunter Greene (right elbow surgery to remove bone chips), Nick Lodolo (left index finger blister), Rhett Lowder (right shoulder pain) and Brandon Williamson (left shoulder fatigue) have tested their depth. 

Five starts into his return, Lodolo has seemed to recapture a groove in his past two outings for wins. Lowder is slated to begin a rehab assignment for Louisville on Tuesday and Greene remains on target to return sometime in July. 

“It’d be nice to have our full pitching staff together," Krall said. 

Even if everybody is back healthy before Aug. 3, it wouldn't hurt to add more starting pitching depth, especially if Chase Burns and Lowder run into an innings limit, as both are pitching in only their second professional seasons. 

As they do every year, the Reds keep the lines of communication open with the other 29 teams.

“We’ve checked in with a lot of clubs. Not much movement before this time,” Krall said. “We’re trying to keep tabs on everybody and see what’s what.” 

An issue that has developed in recent years with expanded playoff brackets that now include three Wild Card berths in the National and American Leagues, fewer teams are Deadline sellers. 

“Right now, you have only four teams in the National League with a losing record,” Krall said. “I think it’s going to be dependent on how everybody plays and what everybody’s looking to do. There’s a lot of teams in this.” 

“I feel good. I’m trying to be consistent, bring it up here and try to help the team. I will just do my best, for sure." Reds No. 3 prospect Edwin Arroyo (No. 98 overall, per MLB Pipeline), who was called up Monday and made his Major League debut. 

For a sixth year, Major League Baseball is slated to observe Lou Gehrig Day at all ballparks on Tuesday. It was June 2, 1925, when Gehrig became the Yankees' everyday first baseman and began a streak of 2,130 consecutive games played. On the same date in 1941, he died of complications from ALS. 

The Reds expect more than 1,000 fans from ALS organizations to attend Tuesday's game vs. the Royals. John Driskell "Hop" Hopkins, a founding member of the Zac Brown Band who was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, will perform the national anthem. 

Hopkins founded the Hop On A Cure Foundation, which supports ALS research while raising awareness and hope for individuals and families affected by the disease. At the middle of the fifth inning, a moment of support will invite fans to recognize and honor loved ones impacted by ALS. 

• Elly De La Cruz went on the injured list for the first time in his big league career. Read More >>

• The Reds survived a very tough month of May as they try to remain in contention. Read More >>

To subscribe to Reds Beat, visit this page and mark "Reds Beat" from our newsletter list. Make sure you're following the Reds or that they're checked as your favorite team.

View Online

© 2026 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. MLB trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com. Any other marks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Please review our Privacy Policy.

You (mlb-newsletters@mlb.com) received this message because you registered to receive commercial email messages or purchased a ticket from MLB. 

Please add info@marketing.mlbemail.com to your address book to ensure our messages reach your inbox. If you no longer wish to receive commercial email messages from MLB.com, please unsubscribe or log in and manage your email subscriptions.

Postal Address: MLB.com, c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.