Cincinnati Reds’ Brandon Finnegan gets ready to return to the rotation

With Homer Bailey’s return date set, the Cincinnati Reds begin to look towards when Brandon Finnegan will return.

Brandon Finnegan has made three rehab starts for the Cincinnati Reds, but still needs one more.  Homer Bailey is set to return after three starts.  How far behind is Finnegan really?

Bailey made rehab starts for Dayton, Pensacola, and Louisville.  They are each a different level of the Reds’ minor league system.  He threw 229 pitches, or nearly enough for three starts at the MLB level.

Finnegan has also made three rehab starts, two in Pensacola and one in Louisville.  Finnegan hasn’t been as successful as Bailey and the Reds are clearly being more cautious with Finnegan.  He has only thrown 160 pitches or close to an entire game less.

Even though he was roughed a bit in his start for Louisville, Finnegan has been every bit as dominant as Bailey in his rehab assignment.  The Reds are just building up his stamina more slowly.

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Finnegan has a minuscule WHIP of 0.75 with a batting average against of .146.  Finnegan only has 10 strikeouts in 12 innings, which isn’t bad but should be better for a major leaguer playing in the minors.  Most importantly, though, Finnegan did this while only walking three over 12 innings.

The Cincinnati Reds need Brandon Finnegan to be the reliable pitcher that he was for them last season.

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In 2016 Finnegan was the only pitcher on the Reds’ staff to take the ball every time through the rotation.  Dan Straily may have been the best pitcher last season, but Finnegan was the most reliable.  That may not always be the most interesting thing, but with this Reds’ staff it may be.

Bailey hasn’t pitched a full season since 2013.  That was four seasons ago.  Finnegan started as many games last season as Bailey has pitched since Opening Day 2014.

Anthony DeSclafani is halfway in between these two.

He started 31 games his first season with the Reds, but has been injured the first half of each of the past two seasons.  That means that the Reds’ top three pitchers aren’t reliable.

Scott Feldman is attractive in that sense.  He has been as healthy this season as Finnegan was last season.  Finnegan, though, was a better pitcher last season many ways than Feldman has been this season.

Next: Tim Adleman becomes the ace in the void

With the way the rotation is going now, the Reds need all hands on deck.  Prospect Luis Castillo, who came over in the Straily deal, and Bailey both are pitching against the Washington Nationals this weekend.  After that the Reds will end up where they belong.