The Cincinnati Reds placed right-handed pitcher Carson Spiers on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to a right shoulder impingement and called up right-hander Randy Wynne from Triple-A Louisville.
Spiers had just been recalled from Louisville on Friday and was expected to start Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles in place of Nick Lodolo, who is on paternity leave. However, a depleted bullpen forced Spiers into action on Saturday instead.
In relief, Spiers threw 94 pitches (52 for strikes) across four innings during a 9-5 loss to Baltimore. He gave up four runs on five hits—including two homers—while walking four and striking out three.
“We had planned to send him back to Louisville,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “But then the trainers came to me, and we found out he’d been dealing with something since spring training. He finally admitted it.”
Francona added with a mix of admiration and frustration: “I told him, ‘I admire your toughness, but I also want to wring your neck for not saying something sooner.’ He tried to push through it, which you respect, but it’s also risky.”
Spiers, 27, is scheduled for an MRI on Monday in Cincinnati to better assess the injury.
“It’s just been this lingering pain in the back of my shoulder,” Spiers explained. “It’s annoying, but getting clarity on it will help. I mostly feel it while playing catch. Adrenaline masks it during games, but afterward it flares up. It’s time to get answers and move forward.”
In three appearances (two starts) this season, Spiers has a 0-2 record and a 6.08 ERA, with seven walks and 11 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings. Since debuting in 2023, he holds a career 5-10 record with a 5.69 ERA, one save, 41 walks, and 103 strikeouts in 117 innings across 29 games (14 starts).
Replacing him, 32-year-old rookie Randy Wynne returns to the majors after making one relief appearance in 2023, where he gave up one run on three hits and a walk in 2 1/3 innings, earning a 3.86 ERA and a loss in his lone outing.
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