Derek Johnson Admits There's No Easy Fix for Current Reds Pitching Woes

The Reds simply need to pitch better than they have of late.

Cincinnati Reds director of pitching Derek Johnson (36) talks with pitcher Chase Burns (26) during a warmup session at the Cincinnati Reds player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When you look at the Reds game notes ahead of Cincinnati's matchup against the Phillies on Tuesday, there is a section that shows just how bad the bullpen has been lately.

Numbers Since April 26

• ERA: 8.14
• Saves: 2
• Blown Saves: 5
• Batting Average Against: .298
• Slugging Against: .564
• OPS: .968
• BB/9: 6.47

Regardless of which way you try to spin it, those numbers are simply not good and it's a big reason why the Reds are 4-13 in May, which is the worst record in Major League Baseball.

Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie's Chalkboard sat down with Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson to get his assessment of the pitching woes lately.

“Every team struggles," Johnson told Goldsmith. "Every staff struggles at one point. Maybe not to this degree. The team message, the staff message is we have to be fearless in the zone. We have to get after it. That’s our job, to do that. Specifically, we’re talking to each guy about what’s going on and trying to help them any way you can. Whether that’s mentally, mechanically or whatever. There’s no easy answer. There’s no right answer necessarily. You start to uncover things you can lean on and hopefully get them squared away.”

It's not just the bullpen. The starters have had their share of struggles as well, although they've been much better of late outside of Brady Singer.

The Reds have gone from 20-11 to 24-24 and it's not going to get any better if the pitching staff doesn't improve.

To read the full Q+A Goldsmith did with Johnson, click here.

Chase Burns Has Been Incredible

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chase Burns (26) delivers a pitch in the first inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The Reds led 2-0 after three innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Chase Burns has 112 strikeouts through his first 17 career starts. That ranks third by any Reds pitcher in that span since 1900, behind only Gary Bolan and Nick Lodolo.

His 1.87 ERA ranks fifth in all of Major League Baseball. His 33.8% whiff rate is the third-highest among qualified Major League starters. He's gotten 136 swing-and-misses on the season.

He's given up two runs or less in eight of his nine starts this season, which is tied for second-best in the big leagues.

Burns is coming off an outing where he tossed six scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals in a 15-1 win. It was his fourth scoreless outing of the season and the Reds will lean on him again on Tuesday night to try to break their three-game losing skid.