Reds: Ranking the most likely replacements for injured starter Wade Miley

Who’s most likely to replace Wade Miley in the Reds’ rotation?

The Cincinnati Reds lost one of their starting pitchers. Wade Miley, according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon, suffered a hamstring injury in the fourth inning of Thursday night’s game versus the Chicago White Sox. If Miley is slated to miss any regular season games, who’s most likely to take his spot in the starting rotation?

Miley, who signed a two-year/$15M contract with the ball club last winter, didn’t produce the best results in the abbreviated 2020 season. The southpaw went 0-3 with a 5.65 ERA after excelling as a member of the Houston Astros’ starting staff in 2019. Miley missed a handful of games last season due to injury and eventually was relegated to the bullpen.

David Bell, via MLB.com, hopes the injury is minor and Miley can return before Opening Day, which is three weeks away. While it’s not an arm injury, there’s still concern that this could hinder the left-hander’s ability to begin the season on the active roster.

"“Hopefully it’s minor. His pitches looked good. He was getting some chase with his pitches, his cutter looked good. That’s a good sign. We just have to be hopeful that this won’t be too much of a setback. You hate to see him go through anything. The bright side is it’s nothing with his arm. Because it’s a leg injury, hopefully he can get back quick.”"

Thankfully for the Reds, their starting pitching depth is arguably the biggest strength of this team. With Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray atop the rotation, Miley was being counted on as the team’s No. 4 starter behind Tyler Mahle.

If the injury to Miley bleeds into the regular season, one has to assume that Michael Lorenzen is a virtual lock for a spot in the starting rotation. Under the assumption that Miley is unable to go and the rotation is comprised of Castillo, Gray, Mahle, and Lorenzen, who’s most likely to get that coveted final spot? Let’s rank the Top 5.