Connor Overton's underwhelming spring training will lead to Triple-A assignment

Connor Overton surprised a lot of Reds fans last season after being called upon after so many Cincinnati pitchers hit the Injured List with various ailments.

Luis Castillo, Mike Minor, and Nick Lodolo all missed time during the early-part of the 2022 season and a realtive no-name stepped in and was the team's best starter for a couple weeks.

Overton, prior to landing on the IL himself with a back injury, went 1-0 with a 1.82 ERA in four starts. The right-hander is still in the mix for spot in the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation this season, but a couple of bad outings may dictate that Overton will start 2023 in the minors.

Reds RHP Connor Overton has not pitched well this spring.

The battle for the fifth spot in the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation is down to three, maybe four, pitchers. Luis Cessa is probably safely slotted into the No. 4 spot meaning that the fifth and fnial spot in the Reds rotation will come down to Connor Overton, Brandon Williamson, and Luke Weaver. Levi Stoudt had been pitching very well until his last outing.

Overton has now logged 6.2 innings of work this spring and has a miserable 14.85 ERA. Now earned run average isn't the best stat to judge small sample sizes like Overton's three appearances, after all, Weaver has an ERA over 11.00 himself.

But it's more than that. One two different occasions, Overton has been lifted during the middle of a spring game only to re-enter in the follow inning (something that can be done during Cactus League). Basically, Overton has failed to get out of early-inning jam in two of his three appearances this spring.

Overton is never going to blow you away with 95-plus, as the 29-year-old is more of a finesse pitcher. But if Overton is hitting his spots, he's going to get lit up like a Christmas tree.

The best thing for Connor Overton would be begin the 2023 season at Triple-A Louisville. He could work on his command and if an injury befalls one of Cincinnati' starters during the early-going, Overton could be a short-term solution.