Reds Add Fan Favorite to Roster, Demote Kent Emanuel After Loss to Cardinals

The Reds brought Kent Emanuel to the big leagues for one reason on Monday.

Jun 14, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Zach Maxwell (78) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the eighth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Reds have been going through a bit of a roster limbo as of late as they try to piece together a pitching staff and bullpen in the wake of Hunter Greene's season-ending elbow injury.

For the Reds' first game of the doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, they promoted Kent Emanuel to the big-league roster and started him in an attempt to save their bullpen from a traditional bullpen game. After Emanuel's outing, the Reds made another roster move, this time designating the lefty for assignment while promoting fan favorite flamethrower Zach Maxwell.

This roster move showcases how cruel the professional sports world can be at times. Emanuel was needed for a job, and he did it in a big way for the Reds.

Kent Emanuel Did His Job for the Reds on Monday

Aug 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Kent Emanuel (67) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Emanuel wasn't elevated to the big-league roster in an attempt by the Reds to get a complete-game shutout. Instead, the expectations seemed to be that the lefty would eat innings and save the bullpen, even if it didn't result in a quality start.

Emanuel tossed five innings and allowed five hits, three walks, and two runs while striking out four Cardinals batters. This outing saved the Reds' bullpen in a big way. Instead of needing to cover six, seven, or even eight innings in a traditional bullpen game, Emanuel covered five quality innings.

Unfortunately for Cincinnati, it wouldn't be enough as the roster only mustered one run in a 2-1 loss.

Zach Maxwell Could Secure a Spot in the Bullpen

Jun 10, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Zach Maxwell (78) throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bringing Maxwell back to the big leagues could be exactly what the Reds bullpen needs right now, too.

Luis Mey has been excellent since returning to the Reds, and he's been stretched out to cover multiple innings. This has been incredibly valuable.

While it can't be expected for Maxwell to produce at the same level that Mey has, Maxwell has been stretched out in Triple-A over his last few outings. He threw 2 1/3 innings in his last appearance and has covered more than three outs in five of his last seven appearances. Adding another reliever with the potential to stretch out for four, five, or six outs in a crunch will make the Reds bullpen even better. Maxwell needs to continue trending in the right direction if he wants to stick on the roster, though.

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