Reds promote top pitching prospect after Hunter Greene's injury as season slips away

The Cincinnati Reds made the trip north of the border this week to face the Toronto Blue Jays. But after word came down over the weekend that the Reds' ace, Hunter Greene, was being placed on the 15-day injured list with elbow soreness, it became necessary to fill his spot in the starting rotation.

Julian Aguiar, one of the Reds' top pitching prospects, will take the ball for Monday's opener in Toronto. Aguiar had spent the entire 2024 season down in the Reds' minor leagues, most recently with the Louisville Bats.

On the season, Aguiar has made 22 starts split between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. Collectively, Aguiar is 5-4 with a 3.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in just over 115 innings pitched. The right-hander has struck out almost 20% of the batters he's faced and owns a minuscule 6% walk rate.

Reds prospect Julian Aguiar set to debut vs. Blue Jays

In order to clear a spot for Aguiar on the 40-man roster, fellow pitching prospect Christian Roa was placed on the 60-day IL with a right shoulder sprain. The former second-round draft pick has been woefully underwhelming all season, and it appears that his time with the Reds may be in jeopardy.

Roa is definitely a candidate to be non-tendered later this year. Of course, with Roa not being part of the active roster, the Reds had to actually select his contract before placing him on the injured list. It was a procedural move, nothing more.

Still, because Roa was not on the Reds active roster, a corresponding move had to be made, and Casey Legumina was the fall guy. The right-hander was recalled before Sunday's game and optioned back to Louisville on Monday.

Aguiar will be relied upon to help get the Reds back in the win column. Cincinnati was boat-raced by the Kansas City Royals over the weekend and fell six back game in the chase for the final NL Wild Card spot. The Reds' playoff odds are all but gone.

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