Reds make September call-ups that will help shape Chase Burns' finish

September call-ups aren't what they used to. Teams used to have access to the entire 40-man roster, but are now limited to just two additions — one pitcher and one position player. On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Reds added Brandon Williamson and Juan Brito to the active roster.

Williamson was on the 60-day injured list while recovering from a shoulder ailment for the past several months, but has made a number of rehab starts over the past month. In those five outings, he's allowed 11 runs on 19 hits over 16⅔ innings of work while posting a 5.94 ERA.

Williamson's return is key to the Reds' plans for Chase Burns. The Reds' All-Star will see a sharp decrease in his pitch count over final month of the season, and after Monday's start against the Los Angeles Dodgers will act as the opener for Williamson to close out his first full year in the bigs. The Reds' lefty will essentially come in relief of Burns in order to help the fireballer navigate the remainder of the 2026 season.

Reds' September call-ups set the stage for Chase Burns' finish

Burns has thrown more pitches in 2026 than he has at point throughout his collegiate or professional career. He's currently just south of 150 innings pitched, and will make his final "true start" next Monday against LA. After that, he'll presumably pitch every fifth day with a much reduced workload.

Williamson isn't the only player being promoted to the active roster for the month of September. The Reds picked up Brito off waivers at the August 3 deadline from the Cleveland Guardians, and he's been part of the Louisville Bats' infield for the past several weeks. On the year, he's hitting just .176/.250/.255, but has the ability to play multiple positions across the infield.

With Elly De La Cruz limited and Spencer Steer on the injured list, having Brito on the roster should give Reds manager Terry Francona enough infield depth to weather the final few weeks of the 2026 campaign. With De La Cruz nursing a strained quad, it wouldn't be surprising to see him act as the team's designated hitter until the injury is fully healed.

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