The battle for the final spot in the starting rotation of the Cincinnati Reds is already underway. With pitchers and catchers having congregated in Goodyear, Arizona over a week ago to begin their annual spring revival, the likes of Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, and Julian Aguiar all showed up healthy – finally – and ready to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
As Mark Sheldon of Reds.com relayed from camp, the competition is already chugging along in earnest, with the likes of Dane Myers and Terry Francona already impressed with what they’ve seen from the group in camp.
Of note in Sheldon’s latest notes is that it will be Burns on the bump for the Reds when they open Cactus League play on Saturday afternoon against their complex rivals from Cleveland.
That’s not an indication that Burns is necessarily ahead of the other trio on the pecking order, per se, even though that would appear to be the case on paper for the time being. Burns, of course, finished last year healthy (despite a mid-season forearm shutdown), and his arsenal when clicking is perhaps as good as any pitcher on the planet right now. Still, there’s a ton to be said from Lowder, Williamson, and even Aguiar before all is said and done, as each of that trio has impressed at lower stops and made their mark at the big league level when healthy too.
Saturday’s Cactus League opener is slated for a 3:05 PM ET start time and will stream for free via MLB.tv.
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