4 Reds players who won't be on the roster by September 1st

2. Brett Kennedy will not be on the Reds roster by September 1st.

Brett Kennedy was a nice story earlier in the year, and the Cincinnati Reds may yet need his services once again this season. But if both Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are set to return before the end of August, it's quite likely that Kennedy's time on the 40-man roster will come to a close.

Kennedy was an emergency starter earlier this season. With his last action on a major league mound coming all the way back in 2018 as a member of the San Diego Padres, it was great to see the 28-year-old make his return this season.

Kennedy took the ball on Independence Day in our nation's capital and tossed five innings of four-run baseball while striking out three and walking two. Kennedy earned the win that day over the rebuilding Washington Nationals.

But since the Fourth of July, Brett Kennedy has been back in Triple-A, and just like Alan Busenitz, does little more than add depth to a Reds pitching staff that has seen a truckload of hurlers in the big leagues this season.

Brett Kennedy has 57 punch outs in over 60 innings of work down at Triple-A Louisville this season. Don't be surprised to the Reds designate Kennedy for assignment once Greene or Lodolo return from the 60-day IL. Kennedy can then accept an outright assignment and return to the Louisville Bats rotation over the final month of the season.

3. Michael Siani will not be on the Reds roster by September 1st.

This one might be rather shocking, but Michael Siani, who has a cup of coffee with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022, hasn't really broken onto the scene the way most fans assumed he would.

Siani is a phenomenal defensive talent. The outfielder gets great reads on fly balls and has the speed to track down almost anything hit his direction. While Siani doesn't possess Billy Hamilton-type speed, he's not that far off.

Unfortunately, just like Hamilton, Siani struggles at the plate. The former fourth-round draft pick has fallen short of expectations in the batters' box. After showing a good eye and some moderate power in 2022, Siani has regressed this season.

Siani slugged .405 last season, which was a major jump from the .327 slugging percentage he posted in 2021. But that number has dipped this season to just above .350. And while no one expects Siani to be a power-hitter, when you couple that with his .237 batting average, it just makes it difficult to keep him on the 40-man roster.

That's especially true with outfielders like Rece Hinds and Jacob Hurtubise needing a spot on the 40-man roster in order to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. The Cincinnati Reds may not want to let Michael Siani go, but they may have no choice as players begin returning from the 60-day IL.

4. Derek Law will not be on the Reds roster by September 1st.

This last selection came down to three names; Derek Law, Curt Casali, and Luke Weaver. But the Cincinnati Reds would seem to value Casali's work with the pitching staff more than Law's versatility. With less than month until roster expansion, it feels like a good bet to assume that Casali will still be part of the roster by September 1st.

As for Weaver, while he's struggled mightily as a starter, the Reds could see him as a reliever heading into the final month of the 2023 season. If both Casali and Weaver, I'm afraid Law may be on his way out.

Law was terrific to begin the year. After putting together, arguably, the best spring training of any reliever, Law became David Bell's go-to pitcher in almost any and every scenario. Law was used as an opener, a closer, and everything in between.

But it seemed as Law was logging too many innings early in the season, and that landed the right-hander on the IL with a right elbow sprain. Law missed about six week's worth of action, and he has seen more downs than ups since returning to the Reds bullpen.

If Casey Legumina, Vladimir Gutierrez, and Tejay Antone are all due back this month, that Reds bullpen is going to get very crowded. Lucas Sims, Alexis Diaz, Ian Gibaut, and Buck Farmer seem to have their roster spots on lockdown.

Alex Young and Sam Moll, being the only two left-handers in the bullpen, are safe as well. Derek Law falls into that next tier with Fernando Cruz and Daniel Duarte. Both Cruz and Duarte have minor league options remaining, and while Law has arguably been better than both this season, he may be the odd man out.