Reds prospect set to make major league debut

The Reds announced Sunday morning that they recalled right-hander Lyon Richardson from Triple-A. Richardson, 23, is slated to make his big league debut when he takes the ball Sunday for a start against the Nationals. To make room on the active roster, right-hander Daniel Duarte was optioned to Triple-A.

Richardson entered the 2023 campaign as the Reds 13th best prospect according to Fangraphs, though five of the prospects ranked ahead of him have graduated to the big leagues since then. Richardson missed the entire 2022 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery but has broken back onto the scene in a big way this season, advancing from Single-A to Triple-A throughout the year. Overall, Richardson boasts a phenomenal 1.86 ERA in 58 innings of work across 19 starts with a staggering 35.2% strikeout rate against a 10% walk rate.

Those limited innings despite regular starts throughout the 2023 campaign come as a result of the Reds being careful not to overwork Richardson as he returns from surgery. His pitch count in each start has typically been capped around 50 pitches, with his peak this season standing at 76. Should Richardson stick on the roster beyond Sunday’s start, those pitch count limitations would seem to indicate he’s more likely to be limited to multi-inning relief appearances rather than continue as a member of the starting rotation.

Duarte posted a 4.08 ERA (116 ERA+) in 17 2/3 innings of work with the Reds this season, albeit with a less inspiring 5.48 FIP. Duarte heads back to the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Louisville for the time being, where he owns a 3.38 ERA in 27 appearances this season, but figures to contribute in Cincinnati down the stretch as a young, optionable bullpen piece.