SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- During his Friday start against the Giants, rotation candidate Chase Burns didn't increase his workload as pitchers often do on the back portion of camp. Rather, he was tapered back.
Instead of getting four innings, Burns pitched superbly for two scoreless, allowing one hit, no walks and recording two strikeouts while throwing 24 pitches (17 strikes). The right-hander, who last threw 68 pitches and allowed four runs over 3 2/3 innings vs. the Padres Sunday, noted that he was given word of a reduced outing on Thursday.
"It was a planned de-load week. I’ve been throwing a lot. Not my thing to say, it’s higher than me," Burns said.
"It’s a little different than everybody else," manager Terry Francona said after a 6-1 split-squad Reds win. "This kid is still working through some of his routines and stuff. And he had a good five days with the trainers working on the flexibility and the mobility. We just want to make sure. … He’s good to go. It might cost him an inning, but he’s OK.”
With the innings he was given, Burns made the most of it. During an eight-pitch, six-strike bottom of the first, he gave up a two-out double to Matt Chapman but worked out of it. He was perfect in the bottom of the second inning, with his slider looking filthy as he netted a pair of strikeouts on the first two batters.
“He was tremendous," Francona said.
According to Statcast, Burns only threw his four-seam fastball and slider. The fastball averaged 98.3 mph and topped at 100.7 mph.
“I felt great. Everything was working really well. I was able to attack with everything and get ahead," Burns said. “I think that’s the name of the game for me, just getting ahead. I tend to get deep into counts because of balls. But you get strike 1 and keep attacking and you’ll have good at-bats.”
With a 4.50 ERA in four spring starts, Burns had less success at getting ahead in his previous games and was hurt in hitter's counts. It's indeed been a point of emphasis.
“It’s not just Burns, it’s with our pitchers, it’s working ahead," Francona said earlier in the day. "It’s easy to say, ‘No walks.’ Just pound the zone. Things usually have a way of working out pretty good when you do that, especially with his stuff. Just pound the zone. If you work ahead, all of a sudden even not your best breaking ball ends up being a pretty good one because they’re in a little more of a defensive mode.”
Burns, who dazzled in 2025 and reached the Major Leagues during his first pro season, also missed a month from Aug. 15-Sept. 11 with a grade 1 right flexor strain. His fellow competitors for a rotation spot -- Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson -- missed all of last season with injuries.
What was once a four-way competition for one rotation spot has since become a three-way battle for two spots after Hunter Greene underwent arthroscopic right elbow surgery on Wednesday.
"I honestly didn’t think about it," Burns said. "I wish Hunter was healthy. I’m just competing and trying to win a spot."
Lowder, who makes his next start on Saturday vs. the Rangers, has pitched very well overall. He has a 4.15 ERA in three games (two starts), plus a three-scoreless-innings start vs. Cuba's World Baseball Classic squad.
Williamson has a 2.57 ERA through three games, with one start of three scoreless innings against the Rockies on Tuesday. The left-hander missed all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow.
When asked if Williamson could be a bullpen candidate in the big leagues, Francona made it sound unlikely.
“I don’t want to make our club [yet]. The best way to answer is we’ve got to look out for his best interests also," Francona said. "It’s not just having the best 26 on March whatever.”
That would mean Williamson is either in the big league rotation or Triple-A Louisville's rotation. Either way, he will be on an every-fifth-day schedule for continuity.
When asked after Friday's game if Burns would still be stretched out for starting going forward this spring, he replied, "Oh yeah."