And there are big time prospects in the lineup!
The Cincinnati Reds prioritized their pitching staff this offseason, and it’s already proving to be a prescient decision. Brady Singer was brought in from Kansas City via trade, and the Reds went big via the Qualifying Offer to eventually retain Nick Martinez after a stellar 2024 campaign.
That came on the heels of Tommy John surgeries to both Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar, and so far this spring we’ve already seen both Andrew Abbott (shoulder) and Rhett Lowder (elbow) be held back a bit due to lingering injury issues. Martinez, it would appear, is going to be leaned on early and often in the rotation as the Reds sort out the rest around him.
That’s what a $21.05 million deal from a tight-budget club will demand, after all.
Martinez gets his Cactus League debut for 2025 today on the road in Scottsdale against the San Francisco Giants with the likes of Reiver Sanmartin, Jose Acuña, Evan Kravetz, and Zach “Big Sugar” Maxwell among the arms who’ll follow him on the bump.
How To Watch/Listen
Unless you can call a cousin with tickets who’s willing to FaceTime for a trio of hours, you aren’t going to be able to watch this one.
You can listen via 700 WLW for the Reds broadcast or track down the Giants feed (via KNBR 680) on the MLB At-Bat app.
First pitch is set for 3:05 PM ET in Scottsdale, AZ.
Lineup
CF Stuart Fairchild
SS Santiago Espinal
RF Will Benson
3B Christian Encarnacion-Strand
DH Noelvi Marte
C Austin Wynns
2B Sal Stewart
LF Cooper Bowman
1B Cam Collier
- Edwin Arroyo, Tyler Callihan, and Ricardo Cabrera are among the position players who will travel and likely get PA today, as most of the Reds regulars get the day off after yesterday’s split-squad doubleheader.
- Terry Francona, Freddie Benavides, and Brad Mills will all be in one dugout today for the first time in Reds uniforms, so that’s cool!