Reds scratch Chase Burns from Royals' start at last minute as injury concerns mount

The hits just keep on coming for the Cincinnati Reds, and starting pitcher Chase Burns is the latest victim. The Reds' fireballer was scratched from Monday's start due to illness, and Cincinnati will now send Lyon Richardson to the bump as the starter for the first game of the upcoming series against the Kansas City Royals.

Burns has been the Reds' ace this season, and losing him — even for just one start — is quite a blow for a team that's dealing with an inordinate number of injuries at the moment. Earlier on Monday it was announced that superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz suffered a right hamstring strain and was placed on the 10-day IL.

Burns has been lights out for the Reds this season, and is arguably one of the front runners for this year's NL Cy Young Award. The right-hander is in his first full season with the Reds and is 7-1 with a 1.96 ERA through 11 starts. The flamethrower has covered 64⅓ innings of work and has 72 punch outs and a 0.964 WHIP.

Reds starter Chase Burns sidelined due to illness

With Burns on the mend, Richardson will get his first start of the season and his first in the big leagues since his rookie year in 2023. He started four games for Cincinnati that season, but posted an unsightly 8.64 ERA across 16⅔ innings of work. Reds fans are hoping for positive results on Monday versus Kansas City.

Richardson has worked exclusively out of the bullpen since 2024. He's appeared in 36 games and pitched to a 5.08 ERA and 4.67 FIP. The right-hander was recalled last week after Cincinnati placed Pierce Johnson on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation.

The Reds also DFA'd Yunior Marte on Monday in order to select the contract of former starter Brandon Liebrandt. The left-hander spent time on the Reds roster back in 2024, and has been part of team's Triple-A rotation this season. He's 2-3 on the year with a 5.23 ERA in 11 starts. Reds fans can probably expect to see Liebrandt cover a handful of innings on Monday night against the Royals.

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