Cincinnati Reds Avoid Potential Tough Roster Decision With Caleb Ferguson Injury

He is having a strong spring.

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Sam Moll (50) throws a pitch in the ninth inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

CINCINNATI – Reds left-hander reliever Caleb Ferguson will start the season on the injured list with an oblique injury, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer. While not the news anyone wants to hear, this benefits Sam Moll the most.

Going into the season, the Reds have four relievers battling over the final spots in the bullpen. Before the news broke on Caleb Ferguson, the Reds were going to potentially have three left-handed relievers on the active roster. While not unheard of, they have other relievers with more upside than the 34-year-old, even though most of them have struggled in Spring Training. Luckily, he is having a very strong camp after struggling last season.

This spring, Moll has not allowed a run in six innings with seven strikeouts and has a 1.17 WHIP. He has walked six batters, but he has a batting average against him of just .059. In 2025, Moll had a 6.38 ERA with a .229 batting average against him in 18 1/3 innings. He spent time in Triple-A as well, and the numbers weren't much better. He had a higher batting average against him at .265 and had a 5.00 ERA in 27 innings pitched. 

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Even though he struggled in 2025, Moll is one of the better left-hander relievers in baseball when he is at his best. 

“The main issue for me was in-zone percentage with fastballs,” Moll told Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie's Chalkboard. “That led to getting behind hitters. That’s the focus moving forward. Getting back to attacking the zone. You look at those numbers and you won’t help yourself when you’re behind in the count.”

Moll was acquired by the Reds from the Athletics at the trade deadline in 2023 and was a pivotal member of the bullpen down the stretch. With Oakland, he had a 4.45 ERA in 45 games with a .239 batting average against him. Once he arrived in Cincinnati, batters hit just .151 against him with a 0.97 WHIP and 0.73 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. In 2024, the lefty had a 3.35 ERA with a .201 average against him and a 1.09 WHIP. 

If he can return to the Sam Moll of 2023 and 2024, he can be one of the more important members of the bullpen. If he struggles and looks like he did last season, he may very well be the roster move that adds Caleb Furguson back to the active roster.

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