Cincinnati Reds head south to Miami to take on Marlins in weekend series

Graham Ashcraft looks to get back on track.

Baseball America ranked Eury Perez as the #7 overall prospect in the game prior to the start of the 2023 season, and all the 20 year old has done since is post a 42/9 K/BB across 31.0 IP for the AA Pensacola Blue Wahoos. That’s all he’s done so far, obviously, and tonight he’ll get his first crack at big league baseball after having been promoted to the Miami Marlins.

The Marlins opponents for the night? The Cincinnati Reds, of course!

The Reds will get the first chance to see the 6’8” hurler, whose fastball and changeup are both 70-grade pitches according to MLB Pipeline. He mixes in a slider and curveball with ample aplomb, too, meaning the Reds will be up against a potential dynamo from the outset. Given that TJ Friedl is day to day (and not starting tonight) after tweaking an oblique yesterday, they’ll also be down one of their two most potent offensive bats so far this season.

A team promoting a 20 year old directly from AA on the same day that one of the core Reds hitters is hurt? Doesn’t that sound like it’d be a tremendously convenient time for, say, the Reds to promote one of their own dynamic prospects?

C’mon, folks. You know how things work around here. Instead, the Reds will instead embark on a road trip a) down a key contributor, b) with their collective DHs having hit just 1 (one) home run all season, and c) still carrying three catchers.

I digress.

Anyway, Graham Ashcraft will start tonight for the Reds looking to eschew any and all memory of his previous outing, one that damn near cost me my entire week in fantasy.

First pitch in Miami is set for 6:40 PM ET. Go Reds.

Reds Lineup

Marlins Lineup