Reds rookie could turn into Cincinnati's secret weapon during playoff push

The Cincinnati Reds will be sending Chase Burns out to the mound on Tuesday afternoon. No, the Reds rookie will not be activated prior to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays, but the Cincinnati coaching staff expects Burns to face live hitters in batting practice before the Reds take the field against the AL East's best team on Tuesday.

Burns has been slowly rehabbing from a flexor strain that he suffered during the month of August. The right-hander threw a bullpen session this past weekend when the St. Louis Cardinals were in town, and if Burns comes out of Tuesday's activities without any setbacks, there's a chance Cincinnati could activate the flamethrower from the injured list very soon.

Could it be as soon as the upcoming weekend series against the New York Mets? That might be a bit premature, but it all depends on how Burns responds after Tuesday's live BP session. Though the timetable for Burns' return is unknown, his role is not.

Reds rookie Chase Burns could turn into Cincinnati's secret weapon during playoff push

If and when Burns returns to the Reds' roster, he'll be part of the team's bullpen. Relieving isn't completely foreign concept to Burns, but he hasn't come out of the bullpen since pitched for the Tennessee Volunteers back in 2023.

Burns made eight starts for the Reds this season and struck out 57 batters in just over 34 innings of work. His high-velocity fastball and hard-breaking slider would play well out of the Reds' bullpen — not permanently, but over the final month of his rookie campaign.

The Reds bullpen has been running on fumes for what feels like weeks. Emilio Pagán was touched up for three runs, including two round-trippers, during Cincinnati's game against Toronto on Monday. Both Tony Santillan and Scott Barlow have been relied upon heavily as well.

Adding Burns to the bullpen — espeically with Graham Ashcraft on the IL — would give the relief corps a boost heading into the final few weeks of the 2025 season. The Reds are just four games back of the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card hunt, and a high-leverage arm like Burns' could be a secret weapon the team could be ready to deploy in the coming days.

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