Cincinnati Reds Announce Unexpected Rotation Plans Coming Out of All-Star Break

The Reds face the Rockies on Friday.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brady Singer (51) throws a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, July 9, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds will start their second half with a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies. They have their rotation set coming out of the break.

• Friday: Brady Singer (3-9, 4.72 ERA)
• Saturday: Rhett Lowder (3-6. 5.05 ERA)
• Sunday: Hunter Greene (1-1, 6.97 ERA)
• Monday: Andrew Abbott (5-5, 3.92 ERA)
• Tuesday: Chase Burns (11-1, 2.54 ERA)

With Nick Lodolo placed on the injured list just ahead of the All-Star break, the Reds made the easy decision to add Lowder back into the rotation.

Why This Rotation Setup?

Jul 10, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene (21) pitches against the Chicago Cubs in the second inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Reds have already decided this season is a lost cause, nobody could really blame them. Still, it's hard to believe they've already pulled the plug on the season at this point. But that is what makes the rotation coming out of the break so questionable.

If the Reds want to have any chance of going on a run coming out of the break, they need to start winning series. Yet, their first two starters will be Brady Singer, who has been the worst pitcher in the rotation, and Rhett Lowder, who has spent the last couple of weeks pitching out of the bullpen.

While you can certainly understand wanting to give Chase Burns some extra rest after he elected not to pitch in the All-Star Game because of a tight hamstring, especially with him also being on an innings limit, it seems bizarre to have Greene wait until the third game of the series to pitch when he's made just two starts all season. Abbott pitched Sunday, so giving him a little extra rest at least makes some sense.

You could also make the argument that the Reds don't want to waste their best pitchers at Coors Field, where anything can happen because of the hitter-friendly environment.

Regardless of when is pitching on what day, the Reds need to win two of three against the Rockies to have any chance of going on a run before the deadline.

Ke'Bryan Hayes Confident Changes Will Help in Improve Offensively

May 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke'bryan Hayes (3) hits a two-run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ke'Bryan Hayes played in his first big league game on Friday since May 19. In his two games back, Hayes in 1-6 at the plate, but he's confident the changes he's made while on the injured list will help him offensively.

“I think a lot of it is getting the core back strong," Hayes told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "Once I was able to get back into activities, I was able to lift a lot to help myself for whenever I came back to keep my body in a strong spot for whenever I came back playing. I feel good. Obviously, Triple-A and High-A are not the same as the big leagues but for the time I missed and all that, I felt pretty comfortable up there hitting.”

If the Reds can get Hayes to just be average offensively, it would be a win considering he's one of the best defensive players in the sport.