Reds make painful roster cut that quietly clears up Opening Day uncertainty

Tejay Antone's story is one of faith, perseverance, and determination. Unfortunately, the right-hander won't be part of the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster after being reassigned to Minor League camp over the weekend.

Antone is attempting to make his way back to big leagues after a third elbow surgery. He hasn't been on a Major League mound since 2024, and if he hopes to accomplish that feat during the upcoming season, he'll have to wait a little longer.

Reds manager Terry Francona, after the team announced the move on Sunday, said, "I don't think it's unfair for us to want him to go to Triple-A and kind of get inside the groove of a grind and how you bounce him back and I think he understood that."

For Antone, this isn't goodbye, but (hopefully) rather, "See you soon." The right-hander will report to Triple-A Louisville while patiently working on his craft with hopes of a phone call if the situation arises. After a fast start, Antone hit a rough patch over the past couple of weeks. In six Cactus League games, he has logged 5⅔ innings and owns a 7.94 ERA and 1.94 WHIP while issuing four walks and striking out seven batters.

The velocity has been there for Antone this spring. While fans shouldn't expect the type of numbers they saw from him during his rookie campaign in 2020 (average fastball velocity of 95.7 mph), he's been able to keep his four seamer in the low-to-mid 90s.

The battle for the final spot in Reds Opening Day bullpen continues

Shifting Antone to Minor League camp brings a measure of clarity to the Reds bullpen plans. Five of the eight spots have already been claimed, and Caleb Ferguson's oblique injury likely means that Sam Moll — the only other left-hander on the 40-man roster aside from Brock Burke — will be part of the Reds Opening Day roster.

If those assumptions are correct, there are now five relievers competing for two spots. Connor Phillips, Luis Mey, Zach Maxwell, Anthony Misiewicz, and Hagen Danner. Both Misiewicz and Danner, like Antone, are non-roster invites to camp, and the Reds would have to make a corresponding transaction in order to include one of those two pitchers on the 40-man roster.

The Reds wrap up camp at the end of the week, and fans will soon know who's got a ticket to Cincinnati and who's headed for the Derby City. It'll be a fight to the finish, and at least three more relievers will soon suffer Antone's fate.