The Reds reinstated left-hander Brandon Williamson from the 60-day IL, per a team announcement. He’s been out since April with a shoulder injury. Cincinnati had an opening on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was needed. The club also recalled infielder Juan Brito.
Williamson began a rehab assignment at the beginning of August. He’s posted a 5.94 ERA in six appearances between two minor league levels. He’d recently reached the maximum of 30 days on his rehab stint.
The 28-year-old Williamson was on the roster bubble in the spring. Injuries to Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo helped him secure a spot in the rotation to begin the season. Williamson struggled mightily over a six-start span before hitting the IL. He stumbled to a 6.19 ERA supported by a 6.79 xERA and a 6.45 xFIP.
While his velocity was intact, something was clearly off with Williamson. He had more walks (20) than strikeouts (19) across 28 innings. Williamson’s 15.6% walk rate was nearly double his mark from his first two big-league seasons. He threw just 57.5% of his pitches for strikes (league average is around 64%).
The shaky control has continued for Williamson as he recovered from the shoulder injury. He posted a 15% walk rate in 16 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Williamson had a 14:12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in his six minor league outings.
Cincinnati’s plan moving forward is to have Williamson work in tandem with talented young right-hander Chase Burns. Manager Terry Francona unveiled the approach to reporters on Monday (h/t Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). Williamson will draw a start on Wednesday against the Padres to afford Burns extra rest. That would line up the pair to tag-team Monday’s matchup versus the Dodgers.
Burns tossed 109 1/3 innings between the minors and majors in his first pro season last year. He’s already well beyond that total, reaching 145 1/3 innings over the weekend. There were reports during the spring that the Reds were looking to manage Burns’ workload, with some brief talk of him opening the year as a reliever. That never came to pass, and he’s delivered a stellar season as a full-time starter. Burns has a crisp 2.79 ERA with a 28.9% strikeout rate over 26 starts.
Brito joined the organization in the trade deadline deal that sent first baseman Nathaniel Lowe to the Guardians. He debuted for Cleveland earlier this year, but didn’t stick for long. The infielder hit .176 in 15 games with the club. Brito only played second base for the Guardians, though he has experience at all four infield positions in the minors. He’s also seen time in right field.
Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
