Cincinnati Reds Opening Day roster projection, Volume 3
The roster takes shape with Opening Day less than a week away.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 5: Nathaniel Lowe #31 of the Cincinnati Reds at bat during a Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Goodyear Ballpark on March 5, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images As is always the case during the six-plus weeks between the day pitchers and catchers report and the actual Opening Day of the regular season, injuries have begun to dictate the precise direction the roster of the Cincinnati Reds will go. Hunter Greene, resident ace, will be out until about the All Star break after having bone chips removed from his right elbow.
New lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson will be out for a few weeks as he works his way back from an oblique issue. Considering there’s no one-for-one way to replace an ace or the team’s go-to lefty reliever, the Reds will likely end up with something of a ripple effect down roster, and that plays into these latest projections. Beyond that, there’s the looming administrative decisions.
Some players on the fringe of the roster still have options remaining, while others do not – building an Opening Day roster capable of winning games early is important, no doubt, but so is making sure you’ve got the most possible depth for seven months of baseball is, too. So, we’re going to see some decisions that walk that tightrope made this week, too. With Opening Day now less than a week away and Cactus League play wrapping this weekend, here’s our last, final stab at what the team’s Opening Day roster will look like.
Starting Rotation LHP Andrew Abbott LHP Nick Lodolo RHP Brady Singer RHP Chase Burns RHP Rhett Lowder LHP Brandon Williamson Notes: This is a known, that the Reds will have six guys for five spots but not a ‘six-man rotation. ’ How that actually shakes out, though, remains to be seen. Burns, Lowder, and Williamson may each have a would-be start skipped, one or two may piggyback with another, and off-days baked into the early season schedule will define this while Greene is out, too.
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