Cincinnati Reds probable pitchers & starting lineup vs. Texas Rangers, April 26

Probable starting pitchers

Folks, if you're not enjoying what you're seeing from the Cincinnati Reds, I feel sorry for you. This team epitomizes the type of grit and determination of the city of Cincinnati, and if they continue to string together wins, Great American Ball Park won't see as many empty seats as the weather warms up.

Graham Ashcraft gets the ball today for the Reds. The right-hander has been fantastic to begin his sophomore campaign. Ashcraft is 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA. Walks have been a bit of an issue for Ashcraft with at least three free passes in his last three starts.

Jon Gray will start for Bruce Bochy's Rangers this afternoon. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in four starts this season. Gray issued five walks in his last start, so the patient approach we've seen from Reds hitters could be beneficial in today's game.

Cincinnati Reds starting lineup

Tuesday night's hero, Jonathan India, leads things off for the Cincinnati Reds as they look to sweep the Texas Rangers. He'll be followed by TJ Friedl, Spencer Steer, and Tyler Stephenson. Jake Fraley will bat fifth and play left field.

After being scratched from last night's game, Wil Myers is back and playing first base. Henry Ramos gets the start in right field. Kevin Newman is back in the lineup for the second day in a row and Curt Casali will be hanging the signs for Graham Ashcraft.

Which Cincinnati Reds player needs to bounce back in today's game?

Every single player on the Cincinnati Reds contributed to last night's victory, so let's not throw anyone under the bus today, shall we? That said, the Reds would love to see some bigger contributions from Spencer Steer.

The Reds third baseman was 0-for-5, but still had some good at-bats. Cincinnati will need Steer to string together some good ABs today as the Reds look for their first sweep of the 2023 season.

Which Cincinnati Reds player will be the X-factor in today's game?

Henry Ramos has been a pleasant surprise in his first two game since being called up from Triple-A Louisville earlier this week. Ramos was in the mix to be part of the Reds Opening Day roster until the bitter end of spring training, but needing an additional infielder, David Bell went with Jason Vosler.

After a hot start, Vosler cooled off. Cincinnati DFA'd the former San Francisco Giants infielder and selected Ramos' contract. Since debuting on Monday, the 31-year-old has shown some fire and the ability to get on base. Ramos is 3-for-7 with two RBIs in two starts. Look for more of the same from the outfielder on Wednesday.