Emilio Pagan's journey back to the Reds' bullpen is starting to look promising, and fans have every reason to feel optimistic. In his second rehab appearance, Pagan needed just nine pitches to breeze through a perfect inning on Sunday afternoon.
Combined with his previous outing, he's thrown a total of 15 pitches, with no walks or strikeouts. While there's no official word yet, a return to the big leagues could be just around the corner.
Before his injury, Pagan was having a rough go, with a 6.43 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP over 14 innings, along with 11 strikeouts. It turns out his hamstring had been nagging him for weeks before he went down on May 5. But it's worth remembering his stellar 2025 season, where he logged his best ERA since 2019 and notched a career-high 32 saves, surpassing his previous best of 20.
Getting Pagan back to full strength is crucial for the Reds, especially as the bullpen has been showing signs of life despite some setbacks. They're still missing key players, like Graham Ashcraft, who's on the 60-day IL with a UCL injury, and Tony Santillan, dealing with an oblique issue on the 15-day IL.
On the bright side, Pierce Johnson is back in action. Despite a rocky outing against the Pirates where he gave up four runs, he was solid in his two appearances prior.
Julian Garcia, promoted last week, has also been a bright spot with five strikeouts in three innings, though his five walks indicate there's room for improvement. He's likely the one to make way when Pagan is ready to return.
The Reds managed to take the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates, although they dropped the Sunday game 9-4. Eugenio Suarez had a scare when he was hit by a pitch on the hand. He stayed in to run the bases but was pulled before his next at-bat.
In other injury news, Blake Dunn has hit the injured list after exiting Friday's game with an elbow issue, a recurring problem for him. This situation will need close monitoring.
Meanwhile, Ke'Bryan Hayes is making strides in his recovery from a lumbar bulging disk. Scheduled to face live pitching mid-week, Hayes has been rehabbing at the Reds' facility in Arizona. Known for his stellar defense, his progress is a welcome sight and could signal a return in the near future.
In Other News...
The Reds Draft Regret That Keeps Looking More Brutal
The 2022 draft still looks like a pivot point for Cincinnati, especially when you line up the Reds early picks against how the board turned out. The club came away with Cam Collier, Sal Stewart and Logan Tanner, a group that at the time represented a mix of upside and organizational need, but the conversation around that class has only gotten louder as the years have passed.
Logan Tanners path has been the hardest to read, with his development stalling before he could get beyond High-A and the organization eventually shifting him from catcher to pitcher. He has yet to make that first mound appearance after landing on the 60-day injured list in March, while the arm the Reds let go elsewhere has surged into one of the most compelling starting pitchers in the league and a legitimate Cy Young threat. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Let Another Winnable Game Slip As Brewers Pressure Builds
The Reds had another chance to steady themselves Sunday in Pittsburgh, but the series finale slipped away early and never really came back. Brady Singer took the ball after showing some recent promise, yet the second inning turned into another reminder of the volatility that has followed him at times this season, and Cincinnati was left chasing a 9-4 loss at PNC Park.
Tyler Callihans three-run homer put the Pirates in control, and the Reds could not answer enough to change the feel of the afternoon. A rain delay only added to the frustration, as Pittsburgh came back out and kept widening the gap, leaving Cincinnati at 39-43 and still searching for a way to stop these winnable games from getting away. [Read more 🡒]