Where Reds' struggling bullpen stands with club in rough patch

The Reds zoomed out of the gates in 2026. They held first place in the NL Central on April 30, backed by blazing starts from Elly De La Cruz and rookie Sal Stewart.

Fast forward to Thursday, and Cincinnati (32-35) is the only team in the NL Central with a sub-.500 record, losers of 10 of their last 13. De La Cruz is on the shelf with a hamstring strain, and Stewart -- despite a key home run to help snap a five-game skid on Tuesday -- has cooled significantly since April.

Even while the offense hasn’t been at its best, another key factor has contributed to the downturn: the bullpen. The Reds had blown a lead in four consecutive games before the ‘pen buckled down and performed well in Tuesday’s win. And then, they squandered it again Wednesday, leading to a walk-off Fernando Tatis Jr. home run.

In fact, this has been a season-long struggle. Reds relievers own a 5.13 ERA entering Thursday’s play, second-worst in MLB behind only the Rockies. These numbers tell quite the story:

• In Cincinnati wins, Reds relievers have a 1.88 ERA with five home runs allowed.
• In losses, they’re up to a 7.94 ERA with 35 home runs allowed.

Sure, most every player is better when their team wins. That’s why teams win games. But a bullpen being that much worse in losses is noteworthy. Injuries, underperformance and inconsistency have contributed to the struggles.

If the Reds are going to remain in the Postseason race throughout 2026, it likely starts with the bullpen getting back to form. Here’s where things stand entering Thursday’s action:

What’s happened?

The Reds’ bullpen has been decimated, with no need to look further than closer Emilio Pagán, who has been out since May 6 with a hamstring strain. He’s on the mend, throwing a 20-pitch bullpen this week, and could be back relatively soon if things continue to go well.

But Pagán hadn’t been what the Reds expected of him. He went on the IL with a 6.43 ERA and three blown saves in nine opportunities. He blew just six saves in all of 2025. Pagán’s four-seam velocity was down 1.5 mph this season, and opponents were hitting him much harder.

The Reds also lost Graham Ashcraft at the end of May to a UCL sprain, landing him on the 60-day IL. He had been one of the club’s most reliable late-inning options with a 3.33 ERA.

Then there’s Tony Santillan, who racked up 33 holds and seven saves a year ago with an excellent 2.44 ERA. His ERA has bubbled to 5.88, and like Pagán, he’s seen a nearly two mph decrease in fastball velocity. Santillan has given up nine homers this year, already surpassing the seven he allowed last year.

Pierce Johnson, a key free-agent signing, is additionally on the IL with right elbow inflammation.

Will it get better?

For all of Santillan’s struggles, he has now put together four straight scoreless appearances. He explained recently that inconsistency with his breaking ball was a major contributing factor.

“Obviously this last month or so is not what I expected or what anybody has expected out of me,” Santillan said June 3. “I’ll just continue to work and get that secondary [pitch] in a good spot. I think that will honestly change, really, everything.”

The Reds needed Connor Phillips to take the next step, too, after a sparkling 2.88 ERA in 21 games last season. But the 25-year-old struggled mightily with his command, leading to 28 walks in 27 2/3 big league innings. He’s given up just one earned run in five appearances with Triple-A Louisville since being optioned, and the Reds will likely have to count on Phillips again at some point this season.

Elsewhere, it’s been a revolving door. The Reds have used 20 different pitchers out of the bullpen this year.

Zach McCambley was one of the latest, making his MLB debut, and he posted two scoreless outings before a rough one on Monday. Zach Maxwell has bounced between Triple-A and Cincinnati, and the hard-throwing youngster has seen mixed results, pairing a couple of blowup outings with five strong appearances.

Sam Moll, Brock Burke and Tejay Antone (returning from his third Tommy John surgery) have provided some consistency. The recently activated Caleb Ferguson had also posted six scoreless appearances before allowing two runs on Wednesday.

But the Reds need more. For now, that likely means the organization’s young, Minor League options need to step up.

“What I would say is right now we’re kind of like the land of opportunity,” manager Terry Francona said on June 2. “I don’t think it’s realistic that everybody that gets called up is going to take it and run with it. But if a couple of guys do, that would really help.”

Is there more out there?

Relievers are always highly sought after during trade season, and though things have been dire of late for the Reds, they still remain just three games out of a Wild Card spot with plenty of time to stay in the race. If they do so, they’ll likely scour for bullpen help.

Barring an exceptional run, the Reds may not be players for the top end of presumably available relievers, such as Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman or Rockies righty Antonio Senzatela. But names will be out there.

Perhaps St. Louis -- despite looking like a Postseason team -- will ship off an expiring contract like JoJo Romero. If the Mets or Tigers can’t climb out of their holes, A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, Kenley Jansen or Drew Anderson may be intriguing options.

More will become clear as we move closer to the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline. What doesn’t need clearing up is that the Reds must have a bullpen turnaround to get where they want to go.