Reds Make More Opening Day Roster Cuts, Send Two Pitchers to Minors

The Cincinnati Reds are beginning to cut their roster down ahead of Opening Day. On Tuesday, they made the decision that Connor Phillips and Will Benson would make the roster out of spring camp. They also opted to bring Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, and Brandon Williamson on the Opening Day roster in a bit of a bold move.

On Wednesday, the Reds opted to send Hagen Danner to minor league camp, ending his dreams of making it onto the Opening Day roster.

"The Reds today reassigned RHP Hagen Danner to Minor League Camp. There are now 36 players remaining in Major League Camp," the Reds announced on X.

Shortly after this announcement from the Reds, Charlie Goldsmith reported that the Reds would also option reliever Kyle Nicolas at the end of the week, citing a need to build up ahead of cracking into the Reds bullpen. Nicolas was acquired earlier this offseason in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched sparingly as a member of Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

"Terry Francona said the Reds are going to option Kyle Nicolas at the end of the week. He needs to build up after not pitching much this spring. When he's built up, they'll make the decision," Goldsmith wrote on X.

Hagen Danner, Kyle Nicolas Still Likely to have Big League Roles in 2026

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Kyle Nicola — Sep 9, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Kyle Nicolas (66) delivers a pitch during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

These two righties will still likely have big roles for the Reds in the coming months. There's a chance they're the first two bullpen arms to be called up in the event of an injury or any unforeseen circumstances.

The fact that the Reds traded for Nicolas should tell you enough about how they view him. He seemed like a lock to make the big league club before he went to the World Baseball Classic to play for Team Italy. Nicolas only pitched a few times in the tournament, though he did well. He's going to need some time over the next few weeks to build his arm and body up to where it needs to be to handle a big league, 162 game workload.

Danner was a fun story during spring training, but it always seemed like he was a long shot to make the roster. He has an electric fastball, but could still use some tuning up on his off-speed stuff before being trusted in the Reds bullpen.

Cincinnati's decision to carry six starting pitchers to open the year cut down one of the traditional bullpen slots. As a result, these two didn't make the cut. Still, it wouldn't be a surprise to see both of them make an impact on the Reds before the All-Star break.

Make sure you bookmark Cincinnati Reds Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and daily coverage of the Cincinnati Reds! Follow Cincinnati Reds OnSI on Twitter/X: @RedsTalkSI. Like Our Cincinnati Reds OnSI Facebook Page. Follow Cincinnati Reds On SI on Instagram.