CINCINNATI -- Before Wednesday's split doubleheader vs. the Cardinals, the Reds placed struggling corner infielder Jeimer Candelario on the 10-day injured list and recalled infielder/outfielder Tyler Callihan from Triple-A Louisville.
Pitching prospect Chase Petty (No. 6 in the organization, No. 99 overall) was brought up from Louisville to be the 27th man and start Game 2. The club also has decided not to put left fielder Austin Hays on the IL for now as he battles a left hamstring issue.
Candelario, who was batting .113 with a .411 OPS and two home runs in 22 games, was diagnosed with a lumbar spine strain. On Monday, he was benched by manager Terry Francona, but Candelario reported the injury on Tuesday morning. The diagnosis came after an MRI on Tuesday night, but it is not known how much time the 31-year-old switch-hitter could miss.
"I think we just want to calm it down first and let the timetable be how he feels and not us putting something on it," Francona said.
It appears that Hays might have hurt his hamstring scoring from first base on Gavin Lux's RBI double in the sixth inning of Monday's 3-1 win over St. Louis. An MRI showed minor inflammation, Francona said, but a decision was made to keep Hays on the active roster.
“We’re trying to buy some time there, because obviously, his bat is huge in our lineup," Francona said. "We don’t want to hurt him. But if he feels good enough, we want to let him at least explore maybe not going on the IL. We’re trying to manage that.”
Hays, who already missed the Reds' first 16 games on the IL with a left calf strain, has boosted the lineup since his April 15 activation. He is batting .365 with a 1.143 OPS and five homers in 13 games.
Callihan, 24, started in left field and went 0-for-2 in Cincinnati's 6-0 loss in Game 1 in his MLB debut. He was given the promotion, along with Petty, ahead of Louisville's game on Tuesday.
“It’s everything you dreamed of and worked for since you were a kid, fantastic," Callihan said. "And to have all my buddies in the room, too, after, it was a good time.”
A left-handed hitter, Callihan was Cincinnati's third-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft and was once a Top 30 prospect. Injuries have often derailed his progress, including a left index finger contusion that cost him two months last season with Double-A Chattanooga. But he still put together a solid season, batting .271 with a .758 OPS and eight homers before finishing the season with four games with Louisville.
After the season, the Reds protected Callihan on the 40-man roster, and he was in big league camp for the first time at Spring Training.
“Being in the big league clubhouse was definitely good," Callihan said. "It got me acclimated to the guys and what winning baseball looks like and hard effort all the time. We run a tight ship around here, so we’re really trying to be a union, working together on the same page. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
This year for Louisville, Callihan was batting .303/.410/.528 with four homers and 12 RBIs in 24 games. Left field was a position that was introduced to him in 2024 after a Minor League career mostly at second base.
“He’s been doing really well in Triple-A. We can move him around the field, which also helps," Francona said. “I’m kind of excited to see if he can help us win a few games.”
Petty, 22, was the Twins' first-round pick in 2021, and he was traded to the Reds for Sonny Gray in March 2022. He is 0-2 with a 3.48 ERA in five starts for Louisville this season.
With the Reds' rotation depth already tested by injuries to No. 2 prospect Rhett Lowder (right elbow strain) and Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement), Petty earned the opportunity for his first big league promotion.
“We think a lot of this kid. Also, it was his day to pitch, which always helps," Francona said. "We love him. He’s a young kid with a really bright future. Regardless of how today goes, it’s not going to define his future. But we do think the present is kind of exciting.”