Luke Weaver, Luis Cessa, Brandon Williamson

On Mar 19, 2023

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Opening Day looms in fewer than two weeks and one of the Cincinnati Reds’ most prominent position battles remains quite unsettled.

The Reds have two spots open in their starting rotation. Luke Weaver and Luis Cessa were viewed as the favorites to become the team’s No. 4 and No. 5 starters, but Weaver may miss the start of the season because of a sore forearm and Cessa hasn’t built up his innings after pitching only two innings in the World Baseball Classic.

Weaver, who signed a one-year, $2 million contract in the winter, exited his start during a minor league game Monday with a sore forearm. He ended his outing after throwing warmup pitches before the fourth inning and he has yet to return to a mound. The Reds remain optimistic he could throw a bullpen session in a few days, but his status for Opening Day is a question mark.

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“The next couple of days will tell us a lot more,” Reds Manager David Bell said Saturday. “I think it’s going to be really close, though. I think we’d have to push pretty hard to get him ready for Opening Day.”

Cessa pitched two innings out of the bullpen in Mexico’s 5-4 loss to Colombia on March 11 and has yet to return to the mound. Mexico will face Japan in the World Baseball Classic semifinals Monday, giving him another opportunity to pitch, but Reds starters lasted four and five innings during their starts last week.

There are ways to build up Cessa’s innings after the World Baseball Classic. With an off day after Opening Day, the Reds don’t need to use a fifth starter until April 5, so a starter could theoretically remain in Arizona for an extra week to pitch in minor league games.

“It’s still possible he would be able to be in our rotation and get up to four to five innings,” Bell said. “He’s still in the mix of four or so guys for two spots. If, for some reason, that doesn’t happen, he has a spot on our staff. He can help us a reliever, but he’s still in the mix for the rotation.”

Beyond Weaver and Cessa, the Reds have three starting pitching candidates remaining in camp: Chase Anderson, Connor Overton and Brandon Williamson.

Anderson, 35, ended last season in the Reds’ rotation when they were low on depth. Reuniting with Derek Johnson, his pitching coach in Milwaukee, Anderson was a mixed bag. He was hit around in his first two outings, which inflated his numbers, but he had a four-start stretch where he allowed nine hits and five runs in 18 innings while striking out 17.