The Cincinnati Reds just can’t catch a break. Or maybe they can, but it’s the wrong kind.
Tony Santillan is the latest pitcher to hit the injured list, this time with a left oblique strain. The Reds made it official Tuesday, placing the 29-year-old reliever on the 15-day IL retroactive to June 23. Zach McCambley got the call from Triple-A Louisville to take his spot on the active roster.
This bullpen is running on fumes. Emilio Pagan and Graham Ashcraft are already on the shelf. So McCambley, who debuted earlier this month and got sent back down after giving up three runs in one inning against the Padres, gets another shot. The 2020 third-round pick will try to stick around longer this time.
Santillan’s season has been a mixed bag. He’s got a 5.23 ERA and a 1.387 WHIP through 31 innings. Opponents are slashing .821 OPS against him. Not great. But before he allowed a run in Monday’s 2-1 extra-innings loss to Milwaukee, he’d thrown seven straight scoreless appearances. Reds manager Terry Francona has been waiting for Santillan to find that 2025 form again, when he posted a 2.44 ERA and led the team with 80 appearances.
That comeback will have to wait.
The Reds (37-42) are in last place in the NL Central. They just got swept at home by the Brewers, dropping to 2-15 against division opponents. That’s not a typo. They’re 2-and-15 against their own division. The body blows keep coming, and now they head to Pittsburgh for a three-game set against the Pirates (41-40).
Friday night’s matchup is the headline. Left-hander Andrew Abbott, an All-Star this season, takes the mound against reigning Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. ET. The Reds desperately need a win. Abbott’s been their most reliable arm. Skenes has been, well, Skenes.
McCambley might not be the savior this bullpen needs. But at this point, the Reds will take anyone who can keep the ball in the park for more than an inning. The season’s slipping away fast, and the calendar hasn’t even hit July yet.
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