Reds send Lowder to Arizona Fall League after injury-filled year

After a long, disappointing season that was sidetracked by forearm, oblique and shoulder injuries, Rhett Lowder is excited to make up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League.

The Reds' top pitching prospect -- No. 80 overall in baseball -- is a late addition to the Peoria Javelinas roster and should have a chance to quickly rack up more innings in the AFL than he did throughout the regular season.

Initially expected to compete for a Major League rotation spot after finishing 2023 in Cincinnati, Lowder was limited to just 9 1/3 frames across five rehab starts in May and September. It's not the season he expected, but he's ready to get back on track.

"It's definitely frustrating, but I feel like I've learned a lot this year that is probably good for me in the long run," Lowder said at the AFL Media Day. "I've kind of said it, you'd rather have it happen early in your career and learn from it then and try to build on it later in your career. I'm kind of lucky that I'm 23 and dealing with some of this stuff. You never want to get injured, but I've learned a lot about my body and everything. It's been up and down, but I think we're in a better spot than we were."

Lowder arguably becomes the best pitcher to join the Arizona Fall League campaign, a notoriously hitter-friendly circuit that is light on big arms. White Sox southpaw Hagen Smith (CWS No. 5/MLB No. 88) is the only other Top 100 pitcher, and Yankees right-hander Bryce Cunningham (NYY No. 4) is the other lone hurler with an overall grade of 50.

The 2023 first-rounder stands out for his pitchability, and his 65-grade control is tied for the second-best among ranked prospects behind only Boston's Jedixon Paez (BOS No. 20). Lowder wields three above-average pitches: a fastball that tops out at 97 with solid sink, a fading changeup at 86-87 mph and a mid-80s slider that has been particularly effective down.

The hope is that Lowder can face strong competition and work closely with fellow top Reds prospects, including 19-year-old catcher Alfredo Duno (CIN No. 2/MLB No. 48). The North Carolina native was scratched from a potential second rehab start in September, but Cincinnati continued to have him build up. Provided he stays healthy, Lowder anticipates throwing as much as he can in the desert.

"Being down this whole year," Lowder said, "makes me realize how much I love playing this game and probably took it for granted over the past couple of years and being healthy and just being able to take the ball every week. That's what we love to do as baseball players. You want to play. Honestly, whenever I can take the ball, I want to."