Cincinnati Reds Top Prospect May Not Be Ready For Opening Day Over Elbow Concerns

Rhett Lowder is dealing with a bout of elbow soreness early in spring training and the Reds are going to be extra cautious with him.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder against the Texas Rangers during a spring training baseball game at Goodyear Ballpark in 2024. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly taking an extra cautious approach with top pitching prospect Rhett Lowder and he may not be ready for Opening Day.

He's battled some elbow soreness early in spring training, but there isn't thought to be much worry.

Per MLB.com:

“I wouldn’t even put an artificial timetable on him," (manager Terry) Francona said on Saturday. "Everybody shoots for Opening Day. I get it; I do, too. We need to do what’s right by him, and we will. So that’s kind of our timetable.”

Lowder had an MRI earlier in camp that showed no structural issues, which is certainly good news. He's the No. 35 prospect in all of baseball entering the season, according to MLB Pipeline.

He was a first-round pick of the Reds in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest and went 6-4 in the minors last season with a 3.64 ERA. He then went 2-2 with a 1.17 ERA in six starts at the big-league level. He struck out 22 batters in 30.2 innings.

If and when he can enter the rotation, he figures to join a talented group of Nick Martinez, Brady Singer, Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott. Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft are other options for the Reds.

The Reds are coming off a season that saw them finish fourth in the National League Central. After hiring new manager Terry Francona, expectations are high this season. The team features Elly De La Cruz, one of the best young players in the game, as well as a returning Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. McLain missed the entire 2024 season with injury.

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