Reds rotation mystery deepens after Terry Francona latest call

Terry Francona has offered up several hints throughout spring training, but the Cincinnati Reds manager has yet to declare a winner in the chase for the final two spots in the starting rotation. On Thursday, however, Francona finally revealed what most Reds fans had already assumed — Nick Lodolo and Brady Singer will follow Andrew Abbott in the rotation.

Abbott was already named the Reds Opening Day starter, and Francona officially announced that Lodolo will pitch against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, March 28, with Singer set to follow on Sunday for the series finale.

Terry Francona still isn't ready to finalize the Reds starting rotation

With Abbott, Lodolo, and Singer set to pitch in the opening series, Reds fans are now curious who'll get the ball for Games 4 and 5 of the 2026 regular season when the Pittsburgh Pirates come to town.

The trio of Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, and Brandon Williamson had been jockeying for that final spot in the rotation all spring. With Hunter Greene now set to begin the season on the 60-day IL, there's now two roster spots up for grabs, not just one.

Statistically speaking, Williamson has the edge. In three games this spring, the left-hander has allowed just two runs on four hits while striking out nine and covering seven innings of work. Williamson was sidelined all last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Lowder and Burns have been linked at the hip since camp began. Lowder has 11 punch outs across three Cactus League appearances and a 4.15 ERA. Burns has also seen action in three games this spring and has 11 strikeouts of his own while posting a 5.63 ERA. The Reds fireballer, however, has three times the number of walks issued (6) as his closest competitor.

All three pitchers have seen highs and lows this spring. Such is the nature of pitching — especially during spring training. While managers and coaches can't simply ignore spring stats, that's not the only aspect of player performance Francona and director of pitching Derek Johnson are keeping tabs on.

Francona's unwillingness to "fill out" the rest of his rotation hints that he hasn't made up his mind just yet, and this final week of Cactus League play could be significant for Burns, Lowder, and Williamson. Burns and Singer will each pitch on Friday, and it's assumed that Lowder and Williamson will fill out the spring games over the weekend.

One of these pitchers will be left behind when the rest of the roster heads to Cincinnati for Opening Day. At the moment, however, the race is too close to call.