Chase Petty’s rough debut just gave one Reds pitcher a little more job security

Chase Petty was thoroughly disgusted with his first major league start, and understandably so. The Cincinnati Reds rookie couldn't make it out of the third inning and was lifted after allowing nine runs on seven hits. Petty was visibly frustrated upon his return to the Reds dugout, but one player who's undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief is injured Reds starter Rhett Lowder.

Lowder hasn't thrown a pitch in a game this season. The former first-round pick is working his way his way back from an elbow injury that's sidelined him since spring training. Lowder is ramping up at the Reds training complex in Arizona, and could begin a rehab assignment in the near future.

Once healthy, Lowder will enter the mix of pitchers competing for a spot in the Reds starting rotation. While Petty's start wasn't necessarily going to vault him ahead of of Lowder on the Reds' depth chart, a strong showing would've helped keep his name in the conversation. Instead, the young hurler has a lot to work on in the minor league before getting his second chance in The Show.

Chase Petty’s rough Reds' debut gave Rhett Lowder a little more job security

Petty's quick ascension to the big leagues was more out of necessity than anything else. That's not to say that Petty was unworthy of a call-up, but had Tuesday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals not been postponed, the right-hander would have been pitching for the Louisville Bats that night.

Petty was in the zone all night; which can be a great asset on occasion. But not when you're grooving pitches middle-middle down the heart of the plate. Major League hitters will tee off on those types of pitches with regularity, which is exactly what they did. Petty's fastball needs some work and so does his pitch selection. He rarely used his changeup, and there were a number of occasions when he was shaking off his battery-mate, Austin Wynns.

it was a rough night for the 22-year-old, but hopefully something he'll learn from. Petty was the 27th man for Wednesday's game, so he was ticketed to return to Triple-A anyway. Look for the young right-hander to continue to perfect his craft while eyeing a chance at redemption later this season.

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