Predicting Reds' September call-ups thanks to MLB expanded rosters in 2024

The Cincinnati Reds will have the opportunity to add two more players to the active roster in just a matter of days. While September call-ups are nowhere near as exciting as they used to be — thanks, Rob Manfred — it still allows teams to add a couple more bodies to the roster ahead of the final month of the season.

In some instances, teams will look to add an impact player to help bolster the team's playoff chances. That hardly seems like the type of strategy Cincinnati will be employing this September. The Reds are all but eliminated from postseason contention, and with that in mind, Cincinnati might be better positioned to add a young, up-and-coming player to the roster in order to help springboard him into 2025.

What do MLB expanded rosters look like in 2024?

In years past, teams could call up any number of players who were on the 40-man roster. Sometimes a dugout would be overflowing with players looking to make an impact. But the rules have changed, and now, teams are limited to just 28 players on the active roster during the month of September.

There are some restrictions. Teams can have a maximum of 14 pitchers, and seeing as how the Reds have carried 13 all season, it's a good bet that fans will see one more hurler added to the mix. Any and all September call-ups must also be part of the 40-man roster, so a player like Chase Petty or Rhett Lowder would have to have his contract selected first.

Zach Maxwell and Rece Hinds should be the Reds' September call-ups

If you're Nick Krall, there's no need to overcomplicate this decision. The two players Cincinnati should call up next month are reliever Zach Maxwell and outfielder Rece Hinds. While adding Tucker Barnhart to the roster for a farewell tour in front of the Reds fanbase would be wonderful to see, it doesn't make logical sense. Barnhart is part of the Reds' past, not their future.

Maxwell has been at Triple-A for quite some time, and calling up the hard-throwing reliever to provide some length to the bullpen over the final month of the season would be a wise transaction. Maxwell's fastball is his calling card, and it's time to see if it plays at the major league level.

On the position player-side of things, the Reds should recall Hinds. The young slugger exploded onto the scene earlier this year with some thunderous upper deck shots, but the rookie has a major hole in his swing and strikes out a lot. Still, it's hard to ignore what he did during his explosive run in July, and Cincinnati should see if Hinds can rekindle that fire that brought the Great American Ball Park crowd to its feet on a routine basis.

Barnhart is an option, and would give some extra rest to Tyler Stephenson during the final month of the season, so the idea can't be totally dismissed. Lowder will be a popular name as well, but the right-hander has just gotten a taste of life in Triple-A with his first start coming last week.

The Reds have a number of players to choose from, but there are two that really stick out. Hinds is already on the 40-man roster, but Cincinnati would need to make a corresponding move in order to add Maxwell.

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