The Cincinnati Reds have now been without Him for a full month. His last outing came on August 8, when he struck out 10 and gave up just one run over six innings against the Pirates. A few days later, he landed on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor strain.
Before tonight’s game, manager Terry Francona told reporters that He is scheduled for a bullpen session on Tuesday, and if all goes well, he could be activated by Friday, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.
Burns’ time in the majors has been a mix of highs and lows. Through eight starts, he owns a 5.24 ERA with 33 hits and 13 walks allowed across 34.1 innings, though he’s struck out 57 of the 151 batters he’s faced.
After his nightmare debut in Boston—where the Red Sox tagged him for five runs in just a third of an inning after picking up on his pitch tipping—he settled down. Over his next six starts, he posted a 3.72 ERA and held opponents to a .202 batting average.
It’s still uncertain what role Burns will have once he returns. He’s already logged 100.1 innings this year between the minors and majors, nearly matching the 100 innings he threw last season at Wake Forest.
That suggests he could still handle more innings, especially with only three weeks left in the regular season. Still, the Reds might prefer to use him out of the bullpen, where his stuff could be maximized, rather than reshuffling the rotation and risking a drop-off from another pitcher.
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