Andrew Abbott To Make First Major League Start Against The Milwaukee Brewers

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Another of the Reds' seemingly endless stream of young pitchers will debut on Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Newest "Kiddie Corp" member is left hander Andrew Abbott. He is a 24-year old left hander from Lynchburg, Virginia. The Reds selected him with their second pick in the 2021 draft. He will be the third young lefty to grace the Reds' starting rotation the last two seasons joining Nick Lodolo, who is on the 60-day Injured List with a calf injury and Brandon Williamson, who was acquired in the trade with Seattle involving Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez.

Last season, Abbott's first as a professional, he dominated at High A Dayton in four starts with a 3-0 record and 0.65 ERA. The Reds promoted Abbott to Chattanooga where he started 20 games and earned a 7-7 record with a 4.75 ERA.

This season, Abbott made three starts with the Lookouts, winning one of them with a sparkling 1.15 ERA. That earned him a promotion to Louisville. He made seven starts with the Bats and won three decisions without a loss and a 3.05 ERA.

"I was following his season," David Bell said. "We were all impressed in spring training, not only by the way he pitched but by the way he handled himself. I got to see him pitch on the back fields and watched him in the clubhouse. He is very comfortable in who he is. He handles himself like he belongs. He has a lot of experience pitching from college."

The move will give the Reds six starters. They are pushing Hunter Greene back to this weekend in St. Louis. He has a little pain in his right hip. He pitched through it in his last two starts, completing 12 innings allowing one run on three hits. He pitched the equivalent of a no-hitter with six hitless innings against the Chicago Cubs and three more against the Boston Red Sox. The first hit he allowed was a fly ball lost in the lights in Boston, then a run scoring single.

"It isn't a huge concern," Bell said. "We just decided to push him back to make sure he's healthy for the rest of the season."

TJ Hopkins, who was promoted Saturday, will make his first big league start in left field and bat ninth.

Hopkins drew an RBI walk against Brewers' closer Devin Williams during the Reds' ninth inning rally after arriving late from Louisville. Bell threw him right into the fire, batting in place of Curt Casali.