Rhett Lowder's comfort with battery-mate could prompt radical Reds' September call-up

Rhett Lowder made his Triple-A debut on Thursday night for the Louisville Bats. The Cincinnati Reds top prospect allowed just three hits while striking out eight over six innings. Lowder is inching closer and closer to the big leagues, and his performance on Thursday night at Louisville Slugger Field was just the latest display that lets the Reds fanbase and front office know that he's ready for the big leagues.

But there's another player at Triple-A who Lowder lauded after his Triple-A debut. Former Reds catcher and two-time Gold Glove Award-winner Tucker Barnhart, who signed a minor-league deal with Cincinnati earlier this summer, was behind the plate for Lowder's first game with the Bats.

Lowder went out of his way to offer up compliments to the veteran, saying, "He's never caught me, so we laid out my stuff, and he went over the hitters and quickly got on the same page. It was awesome having him call pitches back there." How cool would it be to see both Lowder and Barnhart join the Reds' major league squad when rosters expand in September?

The Reds should call up both Rhett Lowder and Tucker Barnhart in September

Come on, you know that's what everyone would want to see, right? At the rate this season is going, Cincinnati is likely to be eliminated from postseason contention by the first or second week of September. Heading into Friday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati's playoff odds were less than 1% according to FanGraphs. So unless David Bell's club, without Hunter Greene in the rotation, can rattle off 10 straight wins, Cincinnati's playoff aspirations are all but extinct.

With that in mind, why not call up Lowder and Barnhart for the final month of the 2024 campaign. Lowder would still maintain his rookie eligibility in 2025, and unless something goes horribly wrong, the former first-round pick is likely going to be part of the Reds Opening Day roster next season anyway. Giving him a taste of the big leagues could help get Lowder prepare for the offseason.

While some would view brining Barnhart back as a publicity stunt, the veteran would be a fantastic influence on the young pitchers inside the Reds organization and offer plenty of mentorship the young position players as well. It would also allow Stephenson to act as the Reds' designated hitter more often without Bell having to worry about who would be backing up Luke Maile.

This is a win-win scenario, and hopefully one that the Reds entertain once the calendar flips to September in a little over a week.

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