Minor injury could land Reds prospect Brandon Williamson on the major league roster

The Cincinnati Reds made a handful of roster cuts on Tuesday. Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain, an Elly De La Cruz were all reassigned to minor-league camp.

One name who was omitted, however, was top pitching prospect Brandon Williamson. The left-hander has been the mix for one of the last remaining spots in the starting rotation.

Something that could push Williamson onto the roster is an injury to one of the other competitors for a spot in the rotation. One of the Reds starting pitchers has a troubling injury and may not be ready for Opening Day.

Luke Weaver's injury could bolster Brandon Williamson's chances of making the Reds roster.

While it's not expected to greatly impact his season, Luke Weaver exited a minor league game earlier this week with a sore right forearm. According to Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell, via MLB.com, early indications are that the injury is minor.

But anything having to do with a pitcher's shoulder or arm is always going to be taken seriously. Seeing as how Justin Dunn has already been shutdown from throwing due to a lingering shoulder issue, the Reds are likely to proceed with caution when it comes to Weaver's injury.

Brandon Williamson was in competition with Weaver, Dunn, fellow prospect Levi Stoudt, and last year's rookie Connor Overton. More recently, Chase Anderson has joined the competition and, of course, Luis Cessa is in the mix. Cessa is currently pitching for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.

Williamson was added to the team's 40-man roster during the offseason, and in four games this spring, the southpaw has accumulated nine strikeouts in seven innings of work while walking four batters and posting an ERA of 9.00.

Brandon Williamson's inclusion on the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster may come down to the wire. While Luke Weaver's health will greatly impact whether or not Williamson breaks camp with the big-league club, the team's decision of whether to deploy Chase Anderson as a starter or reliever will be part of the equation as well.

Connor Overton gets another chance in today's Cactus League game, but the right-hander owns a 14.85 ERA and has looked quite shaky this spring. Weaver is supposed to get ball on Saturday's game against the Oakland A's, but if he misses a start, Williamson will be one step closer toward making his major league debut.