The Cincinnati Reds selected right-hander Tejay Antone’s contract and activated right-hander Pierce Johnson from the bereavement list, the club announced, making a series of roster moves that also included optioning right-hander Chase Petty and placing righty Emilio Pagán on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. To create a 40-man roster spot for Antone, left-hander Brandon Williamson was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Cincinnati beat reporter C. Trent Rosecrans had reported Antone’s promotion before the official announcement.
Antone’s return to the big leagues is a remarkable comeback after a string of major arm injuries and surgeries. The right-hander first underwent Tommy John surgery as a minor leaguer in 2017 and required a second Tommy John procedure in August 2021, a rehab that cost him the 2022 season. Setbacks delayed his return until late 2023, and early in 2024 he needed another significant elbow operation after tearing a tendon off the bone and injuring a ligament. The Reds outrighted Antone after the 2024 season; he made a handful of minor-league appearances in 2025 and re-signed with Cincinnati on a minor-league deal this year.
Antone’s Triple-A work in 2026 helped earn him a promotion. In 12 appearances at Triple-A, he posted a 2.25 ERA and struck out 15 of the 49 batters he faced, a strong 30.6 percent strikeout rate. Control has been uneven — he issued six walks (a 12.2 percent walk rate), hit a batter and threw two wild pitches — a not-unexpected issue after so much time lost to surgery and rehab. Over the four-year stretch from 2022–25, Antone logged just 36 official innings across majors and minors, but his earlier major-league track record remains a reminder of his ceiling: in 2020–21 he produced 69 innings with a 2.48 ERA, a 32.3 percent strikeout rate and a 10.8 percent walk rate.
Williamson’s transfer to the 60-day IL follows his placement on the 15-day injured list at the end of April due to shoulder fatigue; the quick move to the 60-day list suggests the club expects a prolonged absence. Williamson also missed time in 2024 with a shoulder strain, and his longer-term availability is now in question for the Reds’ rotation plans.
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Pagán’s injury occurred during the previous day’s game when he grabbed at his hamstring and had to be carted off the field. He told reporters, including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, that he expects to be sidelined roughly four to eight weeks and was surprised the injury wasn’t season-ending given how much pain he experienced immediately after the play. With Pagán out, right-handed relievers such as Tony Santillán and Graham Ashcraft are likely candidates to take on higher-leverage and late-inning work while the club adjusts.
Other immediate roster consequences: Petty, who had been recalled for a spot start, was optioned back to the minors, and Nick Lodolo is slated to come off the injured list to take the next scheduled start. Lodolo’s return will slot him alongside Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns in the rotation once he’s available.
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Antone’s promotion is as much a milestone as a roster move — it gives Cincinnati a veteran arm with swing-and-miss upside at a time when injuries have thinned its bullpen and rotation depth. How much he can contribute on a sustained basis remains an open question, but his recent Triple-A results and prior major-league success provide reason for cautious optimism.
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