Wednesday's starter T.J. Zeuch may get more than just one opportunity with the Reds

T.J. Zeuch is along for the ride this week in New York. The pitcher was added to the Cincinnati Reds taxi squad on Monday and is expected to draw the start on Wednesday versus the New York Mets.

Zeuch will be taking Hunter Greene's spot in the rotation after the Reds rookie landed on the 15-day IL with a shoulder injury. Testing on Greene's shoulder revealed that surgery was not necessary, but a specific timeline for his return is not yet available.

The Reds did not have many options to replace Greene in the rotation. Perhaps the team could have decided to give highly-touted prospect Brandon Williamson the opportunity, but the left-hander has started just six game at Triple-A.

T.J. Zeuch was a former first-round pick and an Ohio native. Given the rash of injuries that the Cincinnati Reds has experienced this season, Zeuch's start on Wednesday may not be his last.

T.J. Zeuch may get more than just one opportunity with the Reds.

T.J. Zeuch is no stranger to the major leagues. While the right-hander may not be a household name throughout Reds Country, Zeuch has 13 games under his belt including seven big league starts. Zeuch has seen time with the Toronto Blue Jays and was also a member of the St. Louis Cardinals organization as well.

Zeuch was a Top 10 prospect within the Blue Jays' farm system back in 2018. According to MLB Pipeline, the 6-foot-7 right-hander has a fastball that can touch the upper 90s but typically sits in the low-to-mid 90s. He was described as having the ceiling of a No. 3 starter, but history would suggest that Zeuch never attained that level of success in the major leagues.

Seeing as how both Hunter Greene and Robert Dugger are on the Injured List, it's quite possible that T.J. Zeuch will receive more than one opportunity to showcase his talents to the Cincinnati Reds coaching staff. With Greene on the 15-day IL, he'll miss at least two starts.

Zeuch may not necessarily be in line to start beyond the 2022 season, but the competition for a spot in the Reds bullpen for next season will be fierce. Zeuch's performance on Wednesday and throughout the rest of his time in Cincinnati will go a long way toward his deciding his future with the Reds.