The Cincinnati Reds had already placed rookie pitcher Rhett Lowder on the 60-day injured list in early June due to an oblique injury suffered during a Triple-A rehab outing.
However, any lingering hope of a 2025 return was quickly extinguished by manager Terry Francona, who confirmed Lowder won’t pitch again this season and may not see game action until the Arizona Fall League — a similar path taken by Matt McLain in 2024 after a season-long shoulder injury.
The loss of Lowder is a significant blow to a Reds rotation already stretched thin. Ace Hunter Greene remains out, Carson Spiers has been pulled from his rehab assignment and could also be shut down for the season, and other arms like Julian Aguiar and Brandon Williamson remain sidelined.
The remaining rotation has become increasingly unstable, with Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott performing well, but Chase Burns facing an innings limit, Nick Martinez struggling with consistency, and Brady Singer coming off a rough outing.
Meanwhile, the Reds’ minor league depth has taken a hit too, with Aaron Wilkerson opting out to sign with the Cardinals.
Rhett Lowder
Chase Petty and Brian Van Belle remain potential options in Triple-A, but Petty has struggled in the majors, and Van Belle has posted mixed results since his arrival from Boston.
Rhett Lowder
As the trade deadline looms, the injury to Lowder could force GM Nick Krall to reevaluate his strategy.
With the team hovering around .500 and the rotation showing signs of strain, Cincinnati may need to pursue a backend starter if they hope to stay in the playoff race and weather the storm of injuries.
