Reds just gave Chase Petty a wake-up call he won’t forget

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Petty just received a painful message that he won't soon forget. After being slotted to start Saturday's contest against the Cleveland Guardians, Petty was removed and replaced by reliever Brent Suter. Reds' manager Terry Francona had every intention of turning to Petty later in the game, but his opportunity never came.

Why didn't Petty get a chance to pitch? For the same reason that Francona decided to go with an opener in the first place — the Reds don't trust Petty against major league hitters. Saturday's game against the Guardians was a tight one, and at no point was the lead (or the deficit) large enough to hand the ball over to Petty.

The Reds rookie has been given two opportunities to prove that he's ready for the big leagues, and has failed to do so. Petty's first outing was extremely abbreviated, going just 2 ⅓ innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. His second attempt, however, was equally as bad after walking six Houston Astros hitters on 90 pitches over just three innings. Petty's proven one thing since arriving in the big leagues — he's not ready (yet).

Reds just gave Chase Petty a wake-up call he won’t forget

None of this is to suggest that Petty can't become an effective starter in the majors. He is, after all, only 22 years old and loaded with raw talent. But that only gets a pitcher so far in today's game, and with the stakes so high at the big league level, Francona wasn't going to lose the trust of the clubhouse by turning a winnable game over to a rookie who hasn't proven he's ready for the big stage.

Francona did, however, give Luis Mey an opportunity to shine, and the rookie hurler took full advantage. After a Will Benson homer in the fifth inning knotted the game at one run apiece, Francona turned to Mey in the sixth. The Reds' flamethrower made short work of the heart of the Guardians lineup, sitting down José Ramírez, Kyle Manzardo, and Carlos Santana in 1-2-3 fashion.

In all likelihood, Petty will be on his way back to Louisville before Sunday's game. After burining through six relievers, Francona may want a fresh arm for Sunday's series finale against the Guardians. Both Sam Moll and Ian Gibaut are on rehab assignments and either one could get the call on Sunday afternoon.

Andrew Abbott is slated to start on Sunday, with the trio of Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, and Brady Singer to follow in the upcoming series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Thursday's off-day will allow Francona to line up Abbott on regular rest to face the Chicago Cubs next Friday, and all signs point to Hunter Greene's return later this week. Petty's failed to impress thus far, but he'll receive another chance sometime in the near future. Hopefully, he uses Saturday's awkward situation as a learning opportunity.

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