Reds Activate Two High-Powered Arms, Adding Intrigue To Tight Wild Card Race

Hear those footsteps, Mets?

Jul 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns (26) pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

At times, the National League looked to have its six playoff spots all sewn up with over a month left in the season. Then, the New York Mets started slumping.

The Mets have gone 21-28 since the All-Star break and 4-9 in their last 13 games, allowing the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants to surge back into the wild card picture. Both teams trail the Mets by two games entering play on Thursday, but the Reds, unlike the Giants, own the tiebreaker over New York.

It's shaping up to be an exhilarating finish, with Cincinnati winning four of its last five after going cold at the end of August. And on Thursday, the Reds also got some crucial reinforcements.

Chase Burns, Graham Ashcraft activated

Aug 24, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Graham Ashcraft against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Cincinnati announced on social media that it was activating right-handed pitchers Chase Burns and Graham Ashcraft from the 15-day injured list ahead of its Friday series opener against the Athletics. Righties Lyon Richardson and Yosver Zulueta were optioned to Triple-A Louisville.

Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in last summer's Major League Baseball Draft, suffered a flexor strain in his throwing elbow in early August. He produced a 5.24 ERA in eight starts, but much of that was skewed by a five-earned-run, 1/3-inning performance against the Boston Red Sox.

Meanwhile, Ashcraft has been fairly effective for the Reds as a reliever this year after failing to establish himself as a starter in his first three seasons with the big-league club. In 58 innings before his stint on the IL with a forearm strain, he put up a 3.72 ERA, 2.90 FIP, and 56 strikeouts.

Cincinnati has just two series out of five remaining against current playoff teams, both division rivals in the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers. Milwaukee, which owns the best record in all of baseball at 89-58, may be resting its starters by the time the teams square off to end the regular season?

What does this mean for New York and San Francisco? Well, a team that desperately wants to end both of their playoff dreams just added two hard-throwing righties, a starter and a reliever, who might be able to reinvigorate a good, but tiring pitching staff.

Conversely, one never knows how a pitcher's stuff will look after a layoff, so the Reds may want to ease Burns and Ashcraft back in if at all possible in these last 2 1/2 weeks.

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