Chase Petty's ugly outing shows exactly why Reds sent him down

The Chase Petty hype train ran into a brick wall the moment he set foot on a major league field. Petty was rudely greeted during his MLB debut by the St. Louis Cardinals who racked up nine runs on seven hits. He then failed to get out of the third inning during his second big league start, allowing four runs on six hits to the Houston Astros. Petty was sent back to Triple-A last week, and his latest start for the Louisville Bats reveals exactly why the Reds made that decision.

Petty, after being skipped over for a start during the Reds' previous road trip, returned to Bats' rotation this week. On Tuesday, he stepped back onto the mound for the first time since his disastrous start in Houston. Unfortunately for Petty, the results were about the same.

The Reds' prospect managed to reach his pitch limit after just 2 ⅓ innings. Petty threw 61 pitches, 33 of which found the strike zone, but allowed two runs on two hits. His biggest bugaboo in the big leagues followed him back to the minors. Petty walked four opposing batters on Tuesday night which inevitably led to his removal.

Chase Petty's ugly outing shows exactly why Reds sent him down

Obviously these types of hiccups are not uncommon for a 22-year-old pitcher. Though Petty is a highly-touted prospect and former first-round draft pick, his start on Tuesday represented just the ninth time he'd stepped onto a Triple-A mound. Petty is still extremely raw.

It's a reminder to the Reds, however, that while Petty may have the goods to be a frontline starter, he's not ready for The Show...not yet. The Reds needed a spot start for that late-April doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, and with both Wade Miley and Rhett Lowder on the IL, they turned to Petty. In hindsight, that looks to have been a mistake.

The hope now is for Petty, who's been humbled, to regain his confidence and return to the type of pitcher Reds fans saw before his big league promotion last month. Prior to his call-up, Petty owned a 3.52 ERA with 27 punch outs and just nine walks over 23 innings of work. Petty then went six innings — in bewteen big league appearances — and struck out eight batter without allowing a hit during a minor league game on May 6.

That's the version of Petty the Reds need to see on a consistent basis before recalling the young right-hander back to the major leagues. Petty is not lacking swagger, so it's doubtful that his rough introduction has shattered his confidence. The Reds would do well, however, to leave him in the minors until he forces himself into the conversation once again.

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