CINCINNATI -- The Reds may be inching closer to getting help for their bullpen, and the latest rehab steps for Tony Santillan and Brandon Williamson point in that direction.
Santillan, working back from a left oblique issue, handled a scoreless inning Friday for Triple-A Louisville. He punched out two, needed just 13 pitches to get through the frame, and threw nine strikes while retiring Toledo in order in the seventh inning of the Bats’ 9-1 home win.
“He threw a lot of strikes,” manager Terry Francona said. “Velo, I think he was 91, 93. It's his first time, and I think as you see him get more comfortable, you'll see him get more aggressive, like in his delivery.”
Francona wasn’t worried about the velocity being down for a pitcher who usually lives in the mid-to-high 90s.
“Nice to know that when you let it go, nothing's going to hurt,” Francona said.
The next step for Santillan is another appearance Sunday, when Francona said he’ll be the opener for Louisville against Toledo. Williamson is set to follow him and is expected to work around 70 pitches.
Williamson has been on the 60-day injured list since May 6, after first landing on the 15-day IL on April 30. Santillan has been on the 15-day IL since June 26. Williamson has gone 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA across three rehab starts.
Graham Ashcraft is also working his way back after landing on the 60-day IL with a right elbow UCL sprain on May 29. Before Saturday’s game at Great American Ball Park, he threw 18 pitches of live batting practice to TJ Friedl and Héctor Rodríguez.
Rodríguez was the only one to swing live, grounding to second on the 17th pitch and then sending another sharp grounder to the right side on the final offering.
Francona said Ashcraft has continued to move in the right direction since getting a platelet-rich plasma injection to help settle the elbow down.
In Other News...
Reds Offensive Collapse Is Putting Pressure On More Than Nick Krall
Nick Krall has spent the last couple of seasons shaping the Reds roster, but the bigger issue now is that the clubs offensive problems have become too persistent to blame on one decision-maker alone. Cincinnati has lived near the bottom of the league in most offensive categories, and the only area that has consistently kept the lineup from looking even thinner has been power. For a team trying to build around young talent and a more balanced attack, that kind of one-dimensional profile is hard to defend for long.
The scrutiny naturally reaches into player development and coaching, especially after the organization brought in Chris Valaika in October 2024 to help reshape the hitting approach. Instead, the Reds have kept running into the same concerns: too many hitters taking steps backward, too little production across the lineup, and not enough evidence that the underlying problem is getting solved. As the season wears on, the pressure is shifting from who assembled the roster to why so many of the pieces still are not producing the way Cincinnati needs. [Read more 🡒]
Franconas Reds Loyalty Is Fueling A Debate Fans Cant Ignore
Terry Franconas reputation for sticking with his veterans is becoming a defining feature of this Reds season, and it is drawing more attention as the lineup settles around familiar names. His willingness to ride with players like TJ Friedl and Eugenio Suarez has brought a sense of stability, but it has also kept the door from opening fully for younger options who could use real major league runway.
For a club trying to balance the present with what comes next, the question is getting harder to ignore. Hector Rodriguez and Noelvi Marte represent the kind of upside Cincinnati can build around, yet their paths to everyday at-bats appear tied to how much patience Francona is willing to show his established players. The Reds may trust that veteran loyalty will hold the team together now, but it could also shape the roster decisions that matter most later. [Read more 🡒]
Reds May End Up Regretting One Deadline Gamble With JJ Bleday
The Reds took a conservative route at the trade deadline, opting not to move many of their controllable pieces and instead sending veteran Nathaniel Lowe and Caleb Ferguson out for modest returns. It was the kind of deadline posture that suggested Cincinnati wanted to preserve depth and keep its options open, even as other clubs used July to reshape their rosters more aggressively.
That approach could carry real risk with JJ Bleday, who looked like a strong asset earlier in the season before his bat cooled noticeably after June. Because he remains a controllable player for several more seasons, the Reds still have time to bank on a rebound, but every additional stretch of quiet offense makes the decision to hold him look a little more precarious. [Read more 🡒]