The Cincinnati Reds are starting to look a little less like a team running out the string. Elly De La Cruz is already back in the lineup after missing time with an injury. And now the team has a clear timeline for when their closer might join him.
Emilio Pagan hasn’t pitched since he went down with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. But according to MLB.com, he faced live hitters for the second time on June 22 and threw 25 pitches. He’s expected to start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on June 25. That’s the last box he needs to check before the Reds can activate him.
Pagan’s numbers this season aren’t pretty. He’s 2-1 with a 6.43 ERA in 15 appearances. He’s allowed 14 hits and six walks in 14 innings with 11 strikeouts. That’s not the kind of production you’d expect from a 10-year veteran who had 32 saves in 2025. But the Reds have been desperate for reliable arms in the late innings, and Pagan leads the team with six saves despite being out for weeks. Tony Santillan has five. Nobody else on the staff has more than one.
Reds Trying to Stay Alive in the NL Central
Cincinnati went into Tuesday with a 37-40 record. That’s not great. But they’ve been competitive in stretches. The bullpen has blown 15 of their 33 save opportunities, and Pagan’s absence is part of that story.
The bigger loss was De La Cruz. He’d been out since May 31, and the Reds went 8-12 without him. He’s got 12 homers, 37 RBIs, 10 stolen bases and 40 runs scored this season. Having him back gives the lineup a jolt they desperately needed.
But let’s be real about the playoff picture. The Reds are in last place in the NL Central, 10.5 games behind the Brewers. Their run differential is minus-47, third-worst in the National League. Only the Giants and Rockies have worse numbers.
Then again, there’s still a lot of baseball left. The Reds are getting healthier. Pagan is close. De La Cruz is already swinging it. And in a division where nobody has run away with anything, maybe they can claw back into the conversation. Maybe.
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