The Reds have announced the promotion of left-hander Brandon Leibrandt from Triple-A Louisville, with right-hander Casey Kelly being designated for assignment to make room on the roster.
Cincinnati’s pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries recently. Before August, they already had Graham Ashcraft, Brandon Williamson, Brent Suter, Ian Gibaut, and Tejay Antone on the injured list. Since then, Andrew Abbott, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Christian Roa have also been sidelined.
In response to these challenges, the Reds have made several roster moves to strengthen their pitching, including the recent selection of Kelly. The 34-year-old had been playing for the LG Twins in the KBO before being released after the team signed Elieser Hernández, ending his nearly six-year stint with the club. During his time in the KBO, Kelly posted a 3.25 ERA over nearly 1,000 innings, although his ERA rose to 4.51 this year.
Kelly signed a minor league deal with the Reds in early August and made two starts for Triple-A, allowing four earned runs over eight innings. He was called up to the majors shortly after, where he pitched 5 1/3 innings in two relief appearances, giving up three earned runs.
However, after needing six pitchers in their most recent game, including Kelly, the Reds opted to bring in a fresh arm. With the trade deadline past, Kelly will be placed on waivers. If he clears waivers, he has the option to elect free agency due to a previous career outright.
Taking his place is 31-year-old Brandon Leibrandt, who has some major league experience, having pitched nine innings for the Marlins during the shortened 2020 season. Since then, he has played for various minor league and independent teams.
Leibrandt began 2024 with the High Point Rockers of the independent Atlantic League, where he posted an impressive 0.93 ERA over 19 1/3 innings. This performance earned him a minor league deal with the Reds in May, and he has since pitched 72 2/3 innings over 15 starts for Louisville, recording a 4.46 ERA, a 20.3% strikeout rate, a 6.1% walk rate, and a 39% ground ball rate.
Given the Reds‘ current pitching situation, Leibrandt might be called upon to eat some innings. He has a full set of options and less than a year of service time, meaning the team could retain him for an extended period. However, considering the recent roster shuffling, his stay could be brief, similar to Kelly’s.
