Reds Pitcher Continues to Impress During Comeback From Tommy John Surgery

Reds starting pitcher Carson Spiers is starting to look more like himself as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.

Spiers delivered by far his best performance since returning to the mound on Friday night, tossing six scoreless innings for Triple-A Louisville on Friday night.

The right-hander allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out eight against the Nashville Sounds. He retired the first six batters he faced and finished his outing with a perfect sixth inning.

It was another encouraging step in what has been a long road back for Spiers. The 28-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in July of last year, after experiencing soreness during a rehab assignment last summer.

Spiers has made three minor league rehab starts. He allowed two earned runs over 3 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and no walks in his first outing with High-A Dayton. He struggled in his first appearance with Louisville, allowing six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, before bouncing back in a big way Friday night.

Reds manager Terry Francona has certainly taken notice of how Spiers has handled the lengthy recovery process.

"He's kind of knocked it out of the park, which is not surprising, knowing the kid," Francona told Mike Petraglia. "He's like a plus teammate and worker. You're going to get everything he has. We knew that."

There's still a big difference between facing Triple-A hitters and proving you're ready to get major league hitters out again following major elbow surgery. But three starts into his return, the most important thing is that Spiers is healthy and trending in the right direction.

Friday night's performance was easily his biggest step yet.

Reds Minor Leaguer Makes Franchise History

Aug 15, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A general view as Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) holds his hat during a stop in play in the eighth inning against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

John Michael Faile hit his 31st career home run with the Dayton Dragons, breaking the all-time franchise record previously held by Chris Williamson, who hit 30 homers with Dayton from 2000-02.

“It just means that all the work that I've put in has paid off,” Faile said after the game. “And that I show up each and every day and, stick to my routine and the things that I do and everybody here that's helped, you know, our hitting coach Troy (Gingrich) and how awesome he is, our strength coach Dom (Cothern), our athletic trainers, Sam (Tedtman) and (Tyler) Steele, all the coaches and, you know, especially Julio (Morillo) and the kind of manager he's been this year, it's been awesome. So, you know, it's awesome to go out there and accomplish something like that.

Faile admitted he felt some pressure leading up to the home run.

“Yeah, the relief is especially real. I mean, now it just feels like a weight's lifted off my shoulders I don't have to worry about it anymore. Everybody that I talk to this week's talking about, hey, just one more homer, just one more homer, but now I can say that it's over. I don't have to worry about it. I can just go play and get ready for the playoffs.”

While Faile may not be considered one of the Reds’ top prospects, becoming the all-time home run leader for a franchise with more than 25 years of history is an impressive accomplishment and one worth celebrating.

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