Reds Begin Cactus League Play Against Cleveland Guardians

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Dateline: Goodyear, Arizona

Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder and Julian Aguir will get a chance to compete for the fifth start in the Reds rotation starting with the Cleveland Guardians today, February 21.

They work work two innings at most and more than likely just one inning. The Reds are the visiting team at Goodyear Ballpark as the teams share the facility.

Burns started eight games last season and relieved in five more. Lowder, 23, started six games in 2024. Aguiar, 24, started seven.

Both sat out last season with injuries. They get a second chance starting today.

The pitchers are scheduled to pitch two innings. There is a rule that if a pitcher has a long inning, he can be removed and come back in.

"There is something every day that I get excited about," Terry Francona said. "Watching Aguie will be fun. Up until they've been competing with themselves, now he gets to go out and compete."

The Reds will start with Tyler Stephenson, catching and batting first. Managers often bat catchers leadoff early in spring to get more at bats. They leave Cactus League games earlier until they build innings.

Eugenio Suarez in his second tour with the Reds will bat second and play third base. Again the reason is to get him an extra at bat. Suarez joins the Venezuela National Team in the World Baseball Classic on February 27th.

Will Benson bats third and play left field.

Sal Stewart will play second base and bat fourth. He will see time at first base.

Noelvi Marte will continue his development in right field and bat fifth.

Newcomers Nathaniel Lowe will play first base and bat sixth, Dane Myers will be in center field and hit seventh and Michael Toglia will be the designated hitter and bat eighth. 

Myers is on the 40-man roster. Lowe and Toglia are non-roster players, who need to bump someone from the 40-man to make the team.

Edwin Arroyo will start the Cactus League at shortstop and bat ninth. He will leave on the 27th and play for the Puerto Rican team in the WBC.

The Reds host the Seattle Mariners, who just missed the 2025 World Series, losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Championship series.  Suarez was a key member of that team.