The Reds announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Randy Wynne, who will step in for Carson Spiers after Spiers was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement. No additional roster move was required, although the Reds’ 40-man roster is now full with Wynne’s addition.
Wynne, 32, originally joined the Reds organization in 2019 after signing from the independent Frontier League. Since then, he’s steadily moved through the minor league system and made a brief MLB debut in 2023, allowing one run over 2 1/3 innings in his sole appearance.
He was soon after removed from the 40-man roster but has remained with the organization, serving as a swingman at Triple-A. Last season, he posted a 4.16 ERA over 93 innings, and he’s off to a strong start this year with a 3.06 ERA in his first four outings.
He fills the roster spot of Spiers, who threw 94 pitches over four relief innings yesterday. Spiers has a 6.08 ERA in 13 1/3 innings this season, his third year in a swingman role for Cincinnati.
While he’s provided some useful innings, his overall results have been below average, including last season’s 5.46 ERA over 90 2/3 innings across 10 starts and 12 relief outings. The extent of his current injury hasn’t been disclosed, but he’ll be sidelined for at least two weeks.
Wynne likely won’t be needed in the rotation immediately, especially with Nick Lodolo expected to return soon from the paternity list. Instead, Wynne will probably fill a similar long relief role to what Spiers was handling. There’s even a chance he could see action today, as Brent Suter is scheduled to start. While Suter has a solid 2.70 ERA this year, his FIP sits at 4.52, and he hasn’t pitched more than two innings per outing this season. Since Wynne is stretched out as a starter, the Reds may be planning to use him as a bulk reliever following Suter’s short start against the Orioles.
