The Reds are expected to call up right-hander Julian Garcia, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The 31-year-old will be making his big-league debut when he appears in a game. Garcia is not on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move will be needed.
Garcia has had a long road to the majors. He was drafted by the Phillies in 2016. The righty topped out at Triple-A with the organization, making 14 appearances with Lehigh Valley in 2021. Philadelphia released him in 2022. Garica didn’t pitch professionally in 2023, then spent time in Independent ball the following year.
The Reds brought Garcia back to affiliated ball last season. He made three strong starts at Double-A, posting a 1.13 ERA across 16 innings. Garcia posted an excellent 35.6% strikeout rate. Cincinnati bumped him up to Triple-A this year. The club also moved Garcia to a relief role. He’s continued to punch out minor leaguers at an impressive clip, recording a 37.8% strikeout rate in 21 appearances.
Cincinnati’s bullpen has struggled all year. The unit ranks dead last in the league with a 4.65 SIERA and a 5.04 xFIP. The Reds are missing multiple relievers they were relying on for high-leverage work, including closer Emilio Pagan and setup man Graham Ashcraft. It certainly makes sense to see if Garcia’s big minor league strikeout numbers can translate at the highest level.
Photo courtesy of Frank Bowen IV of The Enquirer via Imagn Images
