Cincinnati Reds to Promote Chase Burns, Former No. 2 Draft Pick

Cincinnati Reds to Promote Chase Burns, Former No. 2 Draft Pick originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Welcome to the majors, rook. Your first assignment? The New York Yankees.

Chase Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in in the 2024 MLB Draft, will be called up later this week by the Cincinnati Reds to make his big-league debut. Burns will be penciled in to make his big-league debut against the Bronx Bombers.

Burns is the No. 12 prospect in baseball, according to ESPN’s Top 50 rankings. He is 7-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 89 strikeouts over 66 innings since being drafted out of Wake Forest. He pitched for Tennessee for a bulk of his collegiate career before transfering.

“We’re trying to give ourselves every chance to win and be in this, and right now, we feel like Chase gives us the best chance, and it’s time to go,” Reds general manager Brad Meador told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Reds entered Sunday’s games with a 39-38 record, in fourth-place in the National League Central, 7 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs. But Cincinnati is just three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers for the final wild-card spot in the NL.

Burns will likely take the rotation spot of Wade Miley, who was placed on the injured list Friday with a flexor strain. The spot Tuesday originally belonged to Nick Martinez, but the Reds used Martinez in a relief role Saturday. It’s possible Cincinnati keeps Martinez, who carries a 7.52 ERA in June, in a relief role, as well.

“Trying to figure out when the time is right is always the toughest part. You never know for sure when a guy’s ready,” Meador told the Enquirer. “But he’s (Burns) obviously pitched as well as you could possibly hope in the first year of professional baseball, and he seems to be getting stronger. Even when a guy’s ready, you never know, but he’s passed every test. I don’t think he’s going to be overwhelmed by the situation, for sure.”

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.

Cincinnati Reds to Promote Chase Burns, Former No. 2 Draft Pick

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