Minor League Baseball

Cincinnati Reds Make Shocking Move to Send Struggling All-Star to Triple-A

The Reds have called up exciting pitching prospect Luis Mey while sending down Alexis Diaz.
Brady Farkas|
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Alexis Diaz (43) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 18.
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Alexis Diaz (43) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 18. | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds made a series of big roster moves on Thursday, calling up top pitching prospect Luis Mey and sending down All-Star reliever Alex Diaz.

Mey, 23, is the No. 20 ranked prospect in the organization, per MLB Pipeline. Armed with a triple-digit heater, he's gone 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in 10 games for Triple-A Louisville this season. He's struck out 10 in nine innings, but also has seven walks, meaning his control is a wild card at this time.

According to Francys Romero, Mey leads Triple-A in 100+MPH pitches with 45.

Diaz getting demoted is certainly a big development, considering he was an All-Star in 2023. The brother of New York Mets' closer Edwin Diaz, Alexis is 18-14 lifetime with a 3.21 ERA. He made his debut in 2022, pitching to a 1.84 ERA in 59 games. He was excellent in 2023, making the All-Star Game and saving 37 games (3.07 ERA). He was still solid in 2024, pitching to a 3.99 over 60 games (28 saves), but he's struggled mightily this year.

He began the season on the injured list and has posted an ERA of 12.00 in just six games. He'll head back to Louisville to try to work on adjustments.

The Reds enter play on Thursday at 16-15 overall and in second place in the National League Central. They'll finish out a series with the St. Louis Cardinals at 12:40 p.m. ET. Left-hander Andrew Abbott (CIN) will pitch against fellow lefty Matthew Liberatore (STL).

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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