CINCINNATI -- Following the Reds' 11-3 loss to the Brewers on Thursday, manager Bryan Price revealed that Jackson Stephens would be called up on Saturday to make his big league debut vs. the Cubs. He will become the fifth Reds starter to make his big league debut this season.
Stephens, 23, is 4-4 with a 4.97 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) this season with Triple-A Louisville. The right-hander was an 18th-round pick by Cincinnati in the 2012 Draft.
Two starts ago for Louisville, Stephens pitched eight innings with three earned runs, nine hits, no walks and six strikeouts. His previous start was last Saturday when he turned in five innings with two runs, six hits, two walks and six strikeouts.
The Reds lost a starter when Brandon Finnegan had to go back on the disabled list following his return to action because of a strained teres major muscle near his left shoulder.
Stephens will be the 13th starter the Reds have used this season after using 15 all of last season. The club record for starting pitchers used is 17 in 2003.
Over the last three seasons, Reds rookies have started 194 of the team's 402 games. That included a club-record 110 games in 2015, 56 games last season and 28 games thus far in 2017.