With Greene's return, Burns' position in the Reds' rotation has become uncertain.

Chase Burns

As Hunter Greene is about to be activated from the injured list to face the Phillies the day after tomorrow, rookie starter Chase Burns' status—temporarily—has become uncertain.

When he will pitch next—and what role he will play—has not yet been decided by the team's decision-makers. They are meeting with him today specifically to clarify this matter.

“We told him we don’t have a clear conclusion at this moment. But he knows we have innings to monitor,” said manager Terry Francona. “We are very resolute, and we all agree that we don’t want this kid to stop pitching, so how we get to the end might require some creativity. We just want to communicate that to him, even though we don’t have a fully formed plan yet.”

Burns did not express any anxiety about when or how he would pitch after the conversation.

“I’m just going to go with the flow,” Burns said. “I trust them. I’m willing to do whatever they need.”

Since his professional debut in April, Burns has pitched a total of 100.1 innings across High-A, Double-A, Triple-A, and the majors, surpassing the 100 innings he threw in 2024 at Wake Forest University. As the Reds strive for a playoff spot, they may move Burns to the bullpen to limit his total innings. The team might also give him a few more starts before transitioning him to a relief role.

Other factors are also at play. Nick Lodolo has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a blister on his left index finger and is eligible to be activated on August 20. Versatile Nick Martinez is also accustomed to bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen. Of course, there’s Greene, who has been on the injured list twice this season due to a right groin strain and hasn’t pitched in the majors since June 3.

Because of this, Greene is expected not to reach 100 pitches in his first outing the day after tomorrow, which could impact how the team utilizes the bullpen before their off day on Thursday.

Burns was the Reds' second overall pick in the 2024 draft, and he has a record of 0-3 with a 5.24 ERA in eight major league starts. The 22-year-old last started on Saturday, where he took a 3-2 loss against the Pirates, striking out 10 while allowing just one run before exiting the game after six innings with the team still in the lead.

In his last five starts, Burns has recorded ten strikeouts in four of them (the only exception being the rain-shortened Speedways Classic on August 2). He is one of three pitchers since 1893 to have four of his first eight major league starts with ten or more strikeouts.

Reds' analytics show that Burns' pitching performance and velocity (especially his fastball, which reaches triple digits) have not declined, and the team has not set a strict pitch count limit for the right-hander.

“I think there’s a general (pitch count) range because I think it might be a bit superficial,” Francona said. “I think you should monitor how this kid is throwing while also trying to let the pitching staff, trainers, and medical personnel make their judgments. They’ve done as much research as possible and are trying to make the best decision.”