3 Reds rookies who will have a surprisingly decreased role in 2023

3. Reds rookie Connor Overton will have a surprisingly decreased role in 2023.

Connor Overton will have an uphill battle to land a spot in the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation next season. After spending the majority of his professional career in the minor leagues, Overton slid into the rotation last season after a bevy of injuries forced the Reds to look deep into their minor leauge system.

Overton came in and was utterly dominant. In his first four starts, Overton logged 24.2 innings and posted a 1.82 ERA. It wasn't always pretty, but Overton got the job done. The right-hander struck out just 10 batters while walking seven.

Overton isn't going to blow you away with his velocity or strikeout-rate, but the 29-year-old knows how to record outs. However, heading into next season, Overton will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to maintain a spot in the starting rotation.

It would appear as though three of the five spots have already been claimed by a trio of rookies from last season. Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft, and Nick Lodolo all but solidified their spot in the 2023 rotation.

There's also Justin Dunn and Luis Cessa along with up-and-comers like Levi Stoudt and Brandon Williamson. And that doesn't even take into account the fact that Cincinnati might pursue a few veteran starters in free agency as well.

Connor Overton will have a spot on the Cincinnati Reds roster, but one could easily see him coming out of the bullpen or beginning the year at Triple-A. Overton could make a name for himself on next year's team, but the back injury that forced him to miss more than half of last season could impact his standing heading into 2023.