Inspiring Reds Pitcher Making a Strong Case for Promotion to MLB

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tejay Antone has one of the best stories in all of sports. He's undergone the dreaded Tommy John surgery three times across his career, once in 2017, once in 2021, and again in 2024.

But Antone returned to the Reds camp this spring after his third career-threatening elbow surgery. Antone didn't make the Reds roster out of spring training, but that hasn't stopped him from being dominant with the Triple-A Louisville Bats.

Tejay Antone is Off to a Dominant Start in Triple-A

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tejay Antone (70) exits the game after throwing one pitch in the sixth inning of an MLB baseball game against the New York Mets, Sunday, April 7, 2024, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. | Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Antone hasn't surrendered a hit or a run through 5 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season. He's struck out eight hitters while walking two.

But these numbers don't fully tell Antone's dominance thus far. He's yet to surrender a hard hit ball or a barrel, per Statcast. His Stuff+ is floating right around league average, but he's getting incredibly soft contact, as the average exit velocity against him is less than 75 miles per hour.

Antone is generating a lot of swings while averaging nearly 95 miles per hour with his fastball. The stuff is still there. He knows how to pitch at the big-league level. There's a chance the Reds could look to him in the near future if they need help in their bullpen.

But there's one major roadblock.

Tejay Antone is Blocked by a Deep Reds Bullpen

Apr 11, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tony Santillan (64) throws against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Reds worked hard to upgrade their bullpen during the offseason, so it's unclear if there's going to be a spot opening up in the big leagues, barring an injury.

Emilio Pagan, Tony Santillan, and Graham Ashcraft have all locked down high-leverage roles at the backend of games. It would take some serious collapses from any of these three to see them off the Reds roster any time soon.

Sam Moll and Brock Burke have been dominant left-handed options for the Reds. They aren't in any danger of losing their spot on the roster either. Caleb Ferguson is injured right now, but will be another left-handed option when healthy.

Connor Phillips and Pierce Johnson have come along nicely this season, too. Kyle Nicolas is the final man in the bullpen and he was another big offseason addition for the Reds.

Add in the fact that Cincinnati was going to lose a bullpen spot by going to a six-man rotation when Nick Lodolo was healthy to begin the year, though this might have changed, and it's a very uphill battle for Antone to find a spot in the big leagues right now.

Injuries are bound to happen, but they can't be accurately predicted. It seems like that's Antone's only way on the roster right now.