Reds May Have Found Solution to Temporary Closer Situation

It feels like it is never easy for this Cincinnati Reds team. On Friday night, it seemed the team would cruise to a win over the Cleveland Guardians. Then, manager Terry Francona had to go to his bullpen.

Starting pitcher Andrew Abbott had a solid start, but a bloated pitch count had Abbott exhausted by the fifth inning. What has become a disappointing change to the start of the season, the Reds bullpen would blow a 5-1 lead, as the team would just hang on for a 7-6 win to start the Ohio Cup series.

It wasn't a banner night for Graham Ashcraft or Brock Burke. Ashcraft ended the night with four earned runs while Burke was tasked with cleaning up what Ashcraft left behind, and narrowly gave this one away. However, there was a bright spot from the bullpen last night. That was Tejay Antone.

Send In The Hook

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tejay Antone (70) pumps his fist after getting out of the eighth inning of the MLB Interleague game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Friday, May 8, 2026. The Reds lost the series opener, 10-0. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Since starting closer Emilio Pagan injured his hamstring against the Chicago Cubs earlier this month, the Reds have been using a committee to close games. On Friday night, Antone may have shown he is the most trustworthy arm to send out in a save situation.

The veteran pitcher earned his first save since 2021, and after three Tommy John surgeries, there may not be someone with more mental toughness than Antone in that bullpen.

Antone returned in the same series in which Pagan was injured. In his five appearances this season, Antone has pitched six innings, earned six strikeouts, and has a WHIP of 0.667.

The closer spot is one where a manager should be able to trust the guy who gets the call. Right now, this bullpen looks different every night. The one guy who seems to show consistency at the moment is Captain Hook himself.

Closing Time

Sure, the team putting their trust into someone who has been through so much physically in recent years may feel like a bad move. Antone has only pitched in five different games this season. But it's reaching a point where the bullpen has to find some repetition in how things are done.

Antone has not been used in back-to-back games this season. That's something a closer will have to deal with. It will be interesting to see if Francona pulls the trigger on making Antone the temporary closer.

If that happens, it will easily be one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history.

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