Pitchers and catchers arrived in Goodyear on Monday, but by Tuesday, the Cincinnati Reds were already dealing with an injury to one of their top arms. Rhett Lowder, the organization’s top pitching prospect, is experiencing elbow soreness. The good news is that an MRI showed no structural damage, so there’s no immediate cause for alarm.
Lowder had been in the mix for a spot on the Reds’ Opening Day roster, but this setback will temporarily limit his throwing program. According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Lowder anticipates resuming throwing later this week.
While it’s still possible he could ramp up and even appear in a Cactus League game before camp breaks, teams tend to be cautious with these types of injuries. Don’t be surprised if Lowder’s timeline is adjusted to ensure a full recovery.
Reds prospect Rhett Lowder suffers spring training setback
Last September, Rhett Lowder made an unexpected but impressive impact after his call-up, posting a stellar 1.17 ERA across six starts. Over 30 ⅔ innings, the rookie struck out 22 batters, proving to be a bright spot late in the season.
As the Reds enter spring training, they are already down two pitchers. Both Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 after suffering elbow injuries, and neither is expected to pitch this season.
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For Reds fans, this latest injury news is far from ideal. While setbacks are part of the game, Cincinnati supporters are all too familiar with them. Last season, Williamson, Aguiar, Graham Ashcraft, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, and Tejay Antone all landed on the injured list—everyone except Greene ended the season there.
Despite Lowder’s setback, the Reds have plenty of arms competing for rotation spots this spring. His limited workload opens the door for non-roster invitees like Chase Burns, Chase Petty, and Jose Acuña to showcase their abilities early on. Still, for a team and fanbase hoping for a fresh start, this isn’t the way they wanted camp to begin.
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