Reds notebook: Updates on Burns, Lowder and Williamson

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Chase Burns is going to be ready for Opening Day, but he probably won’t be as built up as the other starting pitchers.

Burns, who is still competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster, had a “de-load” day on Friday in his spring training start against the Giants. While it was as good as he has looked all spring, he only threw 24 pitches after throwing 68 in his previous start.

That was following a day where Burns’ range of motion with his throwing arm wasn’t as good as the Reds wanted it.

“We’re nipping this in the bud right now,” Terry Francona said.

The limited range of motion on that day didn’t stop Burns from continuing on his turn in the rotation, but Burns did some work during the week to nail down his routine to mitigate that issue. Francona didn’t want Burns doing that work and then going right back out and throwing five innings in a spring training game.

“He’s really young, and doesn’t have a ton of experience, even like with routines,” Francona said. “So (Derek Johnson) and the medical people want to try to get him on this routine to keep his range of motion because that’s really important with pitchers.”

As a result, if Burns wins a rotation spot, he probably won’t be throwing six innings in his season debut.

Burns is competing with Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson for the final two spots in the Reds’ rotation.

“The name of the game for me is getting ahead (in the count),” Burns said. “When you throw strike one and keep attacking, it’s good. I want to keep working on my craft, body, mobility. Keep working on the other pitches that will help the fastball and slider.”

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Rhett Lowder wasn’t sharp on Saturday, allowing four hits and walking four batters in 3 ⅓ innings against the Rangers.

He battled through and was only charged with one earned run (a run that scored after Lowder was pulled from the game).

“They’re not all going to be easy,” Lowder said. “You’re going to have to manage traffic. You’re going to have to pitch with guys on. Stuff is going to happen. It’s good to get some practice.”

He made it up to 76 pitches, which is good for this stage of spring training. After missing the entire 2025 season, Lowder feels strong.

He said his focus could have been better from a few of the walks, and his pickoff attempts weren’t good enough. But overall, it was a successful day for him as he managed traffic on the bases.

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Terry Francona on Brandon Williamson: “He has a five pitch mix. His breaking ball is very slow, but it spins tight. He has mid-90s velocity at times. He’s a 6-foot-6 lefty. I love that. There’s a lot to like. Our biggest challenge, probably his too, is getting on a five-day (routine). You come back from a surgery like that and one day you feel pretty good and the next day… You try to navigate getting that routine. That’s just going to take some time. That’s not his fault. He has done a great job.”

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One of the best stories in camp is how Hagen Danner looks.

Danner, a former catcher who has pitched in one career big league game (in the 2023 season), spent the entire 2025 season with the Mariners’ Triple-A team. The Reds signed him on a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp.

He looks good, and he’s competing for a roster spot. His fastball velocity sits in the upper-90s, and he heavily relies on a breaking ball that has good spin to it.

What does Francona like about Hagen Danner?

“A lot,” Francona said “He’s obviously pitching with confidence. The velocity is up. He’s spinning the breaking ball. He’s attacking the zone. There’s nothing not to like. Very impressive.”

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The Reds re-assigned to minor league camp relievers Yunior Marte and Lyon Richardson.

Richardson is a very talented arm. Last summer, there was a stretch where he was the Reds’ seventh-inning guy. He spent most of the second half of the 2025 season in Triple-A.

“He threw some big innings for us last year,” Francona said. “The ball is coming out of his hand good. Consistency with his two-seamer so it’s not 2-0, 3-1 (counts) on so many hitters. I’d be very surprised if we don’t see him at some point.”