CINCINNATI \u2014\u00a0Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pag\u00e1n thought his season was over on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
A day later, it was a more positive timeline for the right-hander.<\/p>\n
What You Need To Know<\/p>\n
Pag\u00e1n was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain
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The Reds also activated Pierce Johnson from the bereavement list
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Francona said he doesn’t think he will go with a regular closer while Pag\u00e1n is out<\/p>\n
Pag\u00e1n was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. He is expected to be sidelined for one to two months.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, I don\u2019t know what it would feel like to tear your hamstring off the bone. I mean it was pretty painful last night,\u201d he said. \u201cSo it\u2019s still going to be quite a lengthy process to get back on the field. But I guess all things considered, I guess it\u2019s pretty good news.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Reds also activated Pierce Johnson from the bereavement list. Tejay Antone, another right-handed reliever, was brought up from Triple-A Louisville, and right-hander Chase Petty was sent down. Left-hander\u00a0Brandon Williamson<\/a>\u00a0was transferred to the 60-day IL.<\/p>\n Johnson got the last out of the seventh inning in\u00a0Wednesday night’s 7-6 loss<\/a>\u00a0to the Chicago Cubs. Antone struck out two while pitching a perfect eighth in his first major league appearance in more than two years.<\/p>\n Pag\u00e1n, who turns 35 on Thursday, entered for the ninth inning in\u00a0Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss<\/a>\u00a0to the Cubs. As he followed through on his first pitch, he hopped off the mound in pain and then went to the ground, clutching his hamstring. He ended up\u00a0being carted off<\/a>\u00a0the field.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we all saw the reaction, I think you kind of leap to the worst,\u201d Reds manager Terry Francona said. \u201cSo I think it\u2019s probably looking at four to six weeks-ish, you know. And that\u2019s always a tricky (injury). It\u2019s going to heal how it heals.\u201d<\/p>\n Francona said he doesn’t think he will go with a regular closer while Pag\u00e1n is out.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think that it makes a lot of sense just to name somebody,\u201d he said. \u201cI think some of it is dependent on how we get there, what the lineups look like, things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Pag\u00e1n had a 2.88 ERA and a career-high 32 saves last year, helping Cincinnati reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020. He re-signed with the Reds in December, agreeing to\u00a0a $20 million, two-year contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n