Dynamic Reds prospect falls victim to spring roster cuts following stellar debut

It'll be one-and -done for Chase Burns this spring. The Cincinnati Reds top prospect was reassigned to minor-league camp following his spring debut versus the Texas Rangers on Wednesday afternoon. This isn't overly surprising, and shouldn't be seen as punishment for the Reds young flamethrower.

Burns' first action of the spring came during the ninth inning of the Reds Cactus League game against the Rangers. Burns took over for Albert Abreu and struck out the side with four pitches of his 18 pitches lighting up the radar gun at 100-plus mph.

Burns was the Reds' first-round selection during the 2024 MLB Draft but did not throw a single pitch last year following a successful three-year college career split between the University of Tennessee and Wake Forest University. Burns is known for his lethal fastball/ slider combo and finished with 408 punch outs over 252 ⅓ innings during his three collegiate seasons.

Dynamic Reds prospect Chase Burns falls victim to spring roster cuts following stellar debut vs. Rangers

That heater-breaking ball combination was on full display during his spring debut on Wednesday. Burns was painting the corners against the first batter he faced. Rangers' catcher Brandon Martorano had no chance and was called out on four pitches.

After issuing a six-pitch walk to Alex De Goti, Burns struck out the next two batters he faced; both on swings and misses. Burns watched Rangers shortstop Alan Trejo flail a breaking ball outside the strike zone, and finished off the inning with a three-pitch strikeout of Texas' centerfielder Marcus Smith. All three pitches in Burns' final at-bat were clocked at 99 mph.

But the rest of Burns' spring will be spent a minor-league camp. This was always the plan, and will offer the hard-throwing righty more individualized instruction and an opportunity to build up his pitch count for the upcoming minor league season. There was no shot that Burns was going to break camp with the big league club, so this is the most logical move.

Burns will now join Edwin Arroyo, Cam Collier, Hector Rodriguez, Jose Acuña, Michael Trautwein, and Ivan Johnson at minor-league camp. Unfortunately for Collier, it sounds as if his reassignment might also come with an injury designation. Collier reportedly suffered a thumb injury and will undergo further testing to decipher the severity of the injury.

It's unknown where Burns will be begin his 2025 campaign, but fans shoull look for the right-hander to start the season at either High-A Dayton or Double-A Chattanooga. Wherever he begins his minor-league career, he won't stay there long. Burns could make his big league debut sometime later this season.

More Cincinnati Reds News and Rumors