SEATTLE -- The Trade Deadline has and will dominate most of the conversations about the Reds until Aug. 3 comes and goes. But starting pitcher Chase Burns doesn't have to worry, because he's not going anywhere.
With his first All-Star Game in the rearview -- and a big new contract signed and sealed, too -- Burns went back to work for the second half Tuesday and did pretty much what he did during the first half for the Reds.
Burns worked five scoreless innings with three hits, two walks and six strikeouts and left with a three-run lead in the Reds' 4-2 win over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
"He was attacking, always getting on the hitter," said shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who hit a leadoff home run to begin the game and made a game-saving diving stop defensively in the sixth inning as Seattle threatened with a rally.
Burns pitched for the first time since July 8, and a lot has happened since. Because of a tight right groin from covering the plate on a wild pitch, he pulled out of pitching in the All-Star Game, but still attended. After the break, the 23-year-old signed a seven-year, $105 million contract on Saturday.
“Just knocking off some rust. Just getting back in the groove of things," Burns said. “I was excited to get back out there. I didn’t get to pitch in the All-Star Game, so I was hungry to get back out there.”
Now 12-1, Burns lowered his ERA to 2.42 with 124 strikeouts over 107 2/3 innings. It was the 16th time in his 19 starts that he's allowed two or fewer runs.
“He competes really well," manager Terry Francona said. "I didn’t think he had his best fastball tonight, but his slider is still such a weapon that it’s really kind of an equalizer.”
Burns successfully navigated around having baserunners in the early innings. He issued a one-out walk in the first inning and didn't pay for it. Around a Josh Naylor leadoff single and a one-out single by Victor Robles in the second inning, Burns struck out the side.
The fourth opened with Burns walking Cal Raleigh leading off and saw Naylor fight off a high fastball for a blooped single to short center field. But Burns sidestepped trouble again by striking out Luke Raley with a slider before Robles flied out and Colt Emerson also went down swinging at a slider.
“I think I need to get strike one a little better, cut down the walks and try to get into the sixth," Burns said.
The Reds had a 3-0 lead in the fifth when some great defense helped Burns finish with a perfect inning. With one out, Cole Young hit a drive to deep center field that TJ Friedl tracked with a running catch before falling down.
To end the inning, Randy Arozarena sharply hit a one-hopper down the third-base line, where Suárez made a great stop and across-his-body throw to Sal Stewart at first base for the third out. The play was upheld upon replay review.
Burns let out an excited yell when Suárez made the play.
“It looked like young Geno out there,” Burns said. “Yeah, I was super excited. It pumped me up.”
“Believe it. If he said it, believe it," said Suárez, who also hit a leadoff home run in the fourth inning.
With Burns having thrown 91 pitches, Francona opted to not give him another inning. It will likely be a second-half trend of the club managing the right-hander's workload as he completes in his second professional season.
“He gets it. He’s a pretty sharp kid," Francona said. "I know he loves competing, but we do have to keep an eye on him. I told him there’s going to be a day when you go out and throw two more innings. But it’s just not now.”
Combining the Minors and big leagues, Burns threw 109 1/3 innings in 2025. How he gets to the end of the season -- including whether it's as a starter or a reliever -- remains unclear.
“I don’t have that answer. I don’t think anybody could have that answer right now," Francona said. "I think we have to be cognizant of where he is in his career. But I don’t think we need to make a blanket statement.
“There’s not a hard-and-fast number. We know we have to keep an eye on this kid.”
Burns would be pleased to finish this season with 30 starts.
“Huge," he said. "I’m sure we’ll communicate and whatever they want to do with me, whether they want to slow me down, it’s kind of up to them.”