Chase Burns injury revelation suddenly gives Reds a fighting chance

Chase Burns will be back on the mound for the Cincinnati Reds later this week. According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds plan to activate Burns for the team's series opener against the Athletics on Friday.

Burns had been sidelined for the past few weeks with an elbow injury, but after throwing to live hitters last week, it now appears that the Reds' rookie will be on the active roster for the final leg of the 2025 season.

While Burns' role is not yet known, it's highly likely that Cincinnati will use the fireballer in short spurts — either as an opener or as a relief option out of the bullpen. Burns has been on an innings-restriction this season, and reducing the number of pitches he throws during the final weeks of his rookie campaign should help to keep him within those limits.

Chase Burns injury update suddenly gives Reds a fighting chance

This has the potential to be a tremendous boost for a Reds team that's still in the hunt for that final NL Wild Card spot. Entering play on Monday night, Cincinnati trailed the New York Mets by just four games with 19 left to play.

The Reds will take every ounce of help they can get over the next few weeks. Cincinnati faces a tough task with series against the San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs on the horizon, but having Burns back in the fold will add some extra heat to the Reds' pitching staff.

Burns has been a strikeout machine this season, racking up 57 punch outs in eight appearances. The flamethrower has recorded 10 strikeouts in four of his last five outings. The lone exception was the rain-shortened start at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

The Reds just got a dynamite pitching performance from Hunter Greene on Sunday against the Mets, and are hoping for more of the same this week in San Diego and on into Sacramento. This latest injury update certainly makes that more realistic.

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