CLEVELAND -- Thought to have one of baseball's deeper rotations heading into 2026, the Reds were already tapped out in-house of available starting pitchers who could make a start.
Enter free agent Chris Paddack, who was signed on Wednesday. Heading into his outing vs. the Guardians, Paddack hadn't pitched in a game for 13 days and Cincinnati didn't really know what it would get from the veteran right-hander.
It was enough to give the Reds five innings with 78 pitches and depart with a lead, but that lead wasn't nearly sufficient for their beleaguered bullpen, which surrendered the lead in a 7-4 loss Saturday at Progressive Field.
“I thought he really did a good job," manager Terry Francona said. "He could have stayed out there. I just thought with the time he had off, I thought that would have been unfair to him [to keep going]."
A 4-2 advantage heading into the bottom of the sixth went away quickly. Reliever Luis Mey scuffled with two walks, a double and a run-scoring wild pitch. Sam Moll did well and got out of the jam with only a sacrifice fly, but a single past shortstop Elly De La Cruz opened the seventh.
With two outs, Pierce Johnson allowed an Angel Martínez two-run homer that put the Guardians ahead.
In its last 17 games, the Reds' bullpen is 0-6 with a Major League-worst 8.29 ERA. With six more walks on Saturday, it has an MLB-leading 120 overall.
“We’ve got some guys that aren’t commanding like they have. Then we’ve got some younger kids that are struggling to find their place and what pitches they can throw and hitting the strike zone," Francona said. "It’s been a challenge.”
Erased was the effort of Paddack, who gave up two earned runs and six hits (all singles), with one walk and three strikeouts. Both runs and all but one of the hits came with two outs, but he retired seven of his last nine batters.
Before being designated for assignment by the Marlins on May 5, Paddack was 0-5 with a 7.63 ERA in seven games (six starts). He had been signed to a one-year, $4 million contract by Miami on Feb. 12.
“That was the first thing the coaches are making sure [of] how the body’s feeling," Paddack said. "I thought we did a good job over the last four or five days of making sure we were ready to go. Coming off 11, 12 days of not getting off the mound competing, sometimes that could be hard to get into that 80-pitch count. I honestly just communicated with them, and I felt great tonight.”
The only regret Paddack had was issuing a two-out walk to Austin Hedges that loaded the bases in a second inning that began with back-to-back strikeouts. Brayan Rocchio followed with his two-run single to left-center field.
“Can’t walk guys with two outs," Paddack said. "I think it just kind of got out of whack there trying to be fine, trying to be perfect instead of what we did all night and that was attack the zone to a lineup that’s fairly patient early.”
The first cracks in Cincinnati's rotation began at Spring Training. Hunter Greene had loose bodies in his right elbow detected in October, but opted for a platelet-rich plasma injection instead of offseason surgery. It backfired when Greene needed surgery in March, which will keep him out until July.
Nick Lodolo suffered a blister on his left index finger the final day of camp and only returned May 8. Brandon Williamson (left shoulder fatigue) is on the 60-day injured list, and on Wednesday, Rhett Lowder went on the 15-day IL with right shoulder pain as Paddack was signed.
Even No. 7 prospect Chase Petty, who would have been a candidate for a recall to pitch in this spot, came down with his own blister and was unavailable. Petty recovered in time to be scheduled to pitch Saturday for Triple-A Louisville before the game was postponed.
The Reds will need someone on Friday and it looks like Paddack earned another turn.
"He’s going to start again in five or six days," Francona said.
Finding the solution that fixes the bullpen is something the club needs to happen even sooner.
“There are guys and when it’s good, you pat them on the back. And when it’s not so good, I don’t think you run from them," Francona said. "I actually talked to our guys today a little. What I don’t think you say is, ‘Hey, don’t walk people.’ They’re not trying to walk people. Tried to get them to take the mindset, 'Attack what you want to do.’ Just because you said it doesn’t mean it [happens].”