The Reds shuffled four spots on the roster Thursday afternoon before facing the Brewers, and the biggest immediate change is a fresh name: Ivan Johnson is up, while Dane Myers is headed to the injured list.
Johnson gets the call after the club added him to both the 40-man roster and the 26-man roster. If he gets into a game, it will be his big league debut.
The 27-year-old switch-hitter was Cincinnati’s fourth-round pick in the 2019 MLB draft out of Chipola College, and his climb has taken time. He didn’t reach Triple-A until the second half of 2024, then stuck there.
His first look at Louisville went well, with a .289/.359/.537 line in 47 games in 2024. Last season was a different story.
Injuries slowed him down, and his year ended before the midpoint after he posted a .715 OPS and then spent the final three months on the injured list. This season has looked much more like the player the Reds hoped for.
He opened the year in the World Baseball Classic for Great Britain, then returned to Louisville and stayed on the field. In 55 games, he’s hit .290/.388/.489 with eight doubles, nine home runs, and 11 stolen bases.
Johnson has also shown some split value. Against lefties this year, he’s hit .358/.453/.509, while against right-handers he’s at .260/.359/.480.
He’s spent time all over the field in Louisville over the last two years, working at second base, third base, left field, right field, and a few games in center. Left field and second base have been his main homes, but he gives the Reds options.
The bat comes with athleticism. Johnson has a quick stroke from both sides of the plate and enough speed to matter on the bases.
He’s not Blake Dunn, but he is an above-average runner who has been successful running in the minors. The swing-and-miss has been part of the package, though this year he’s cut into it.
His strikeout rate is down to 23.6%, which is the lowest of his career outside of rookie ball, after sitting at 29.2% in 2025. The change appears to come from a more aggressive approach in the zone: his chase rate is basically unchanged at 27.2%, but his in-zone swing rate has jumped from 68% to 75%.
For Cincinnati, the return of Emilio Pagan is another important piece. He’s back after eight weeks on the injured list with a hamstring strain, and he made two rehab appearances with Louisville this past week, throwing a shutout inning in each one.
That comes at a useful time for the Reds, who also just lost Tony Santillan to the injured list with an oblique injury and were already without Graham Ashcraft. For a brief stretch, that left the club without the pitchers who started the season as its seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-inning options.
To make room, Zach McCambley was optioned to Triple-A. McCambley has had two separate stints with the Reds since arriving in a trade from the Marlins in late May.
This most recent one lasted just one outing. He didn’t allow a run, but he recorded only one out and walked the bases loaded before Brock Burke came in and got the next three outs without letting any of those runners score.
As for Myers, the update is better than it first sounded. He’s now on the 10-day injured list with a shoulder contusion after crashing into the wall while making a catch last night.
His X-rays came back negative, but he was still in a lot of pain and was sent to the hospital for additional checks. Given how violent the collision looked, the outcome is a relief for the Reds.
In Other News...
Carlos Jorge Is Forcing A Reds Decision They Can't Delay
Carlos Jorge has turned Double-A Chattanooga into a proving ground, and the Reds cant ignore the way hes changed the conversation around his future. After a rougher stretch in High-A knocked him down the clubs prospect ladder, the outfielder has rebuilt his stock with a more controlled approach at the plate, better contact and far fewer empty swings, all while producing enough impact to matter in games.
The next step now feels unavoidable: Louisville. Cincinnati needs to see whether Jorge can carry this version of himself to Triple-A, because a strong finish there would force a real offseason roster debate and bring his name into 40-man planning before the winter gets complicated. For a player who was in danger of fading, Jorge has done more than resurface - he has put the Reds on the clock. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Are Quietly Watching An Old Mets Trade Turn Into A Heist
A 2022 trade that barely registered at the time is looking a lot more meaningful now, at least from Cincinnatis side. The deal sent Tyler Naquin and Phillip Diehl to the Mets, and the Reds have spent the last few years watching the return they got in that swap develop in a way that makes the transaction look far more productive than anyone expected.
The timing only adds to the contrast. While Cincinnatis side of the ledger has seen real progress in the minors, New York has been fighting through a rough season and a rotation that has struggled to hold up under the weight of disappointment. For the Reds, it is the kind of old front-office move that can quietly gain value over time, especially when the team on the other end is sliding and the prospects are moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Reach A Breaking Point With No More Time To Waste
The halfway point arrived with Cincinnati still stuck below where it expected to be, and that has turned every June discussion into a July pressure test. At 39-44 and last in the NL Central, the Reds are trying to climb back into a muddled race while also sorting through the familiar tensions of a team that has underperformed its preseason hopes. Nick Krall has made clear the club needs to improve if it wants to stay in the conversation, and the calendar is already pushing the front office toward the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
There is at least some hope on the roster side. Elly De La Cruz, Emilio Pagn and Hunter Greene are all working their way back from injuries, and the rotation has started to stabilize after a shaky stretch. But the offense remains the real drag, leaving Cincinnati with too many games in which the pitching gives it a chance and the lineup fails to cash it in. If the Reds are going to change the tone of this season, it will have to happen soon, because the margin for error is shrinking with every series. [Read more 🡒]