CINCINNATI (WKRC) – The Cincinnati Reds will be without right-handed pitcher Carson Spiers for the remainder of the 2025 season as he prepares to undergo surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Reds manager Terry Francona announced the news on Saturday before the team’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, following a second opinion on Spiers’ MRI from orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister.
“I just feel bad for the kid,” Francona said via MLB.com writer Mark Sheldon. “He must be some kind of a tough kid because he still says, ‘I can pitch.’ He’s been saying that the whole damn time. I told him yesterday, ‘I have a feeling your pain threshold might be a little higher than most,’ because he still swears he can pitch.”
Spiers, 27, has been on the 60-day injured list since April 20 due to a right shoulder impingement. During a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville, he experienced soreness in his right biceps on July 19. In his three appearances for Cincinnati this season, including two starts, Spiers was 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA.
The type of surgery he will undergo—either a full ulnar collateral ligament replacement or an internal brace procedure—remains undecided. The recovery timeline for either surgery suggests a return deep into the 2026 season.
A date for Spiers’ surgery has not yet been set, but it is expected to be performed by Dr. Meister in Arlington, Texas.