Reds right-hander Justin Dunn will undergo surgery to repair the anterior capsule of his throwing shoulder, the team informed reporters (including Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). The club didn’t provide a timetable but it’d seem likely he’ll at least miss the remainder of the 2023 season.
Dunn has been on the injured list for the entire season. The former first-round pick has been battling shoulder concerns for a couple years. Dunn had shoulder soreness (of which Cincinnati was aware at the time) even before the Mariners dealt him to the Reds in the Jesse Winker/Eugenio Suárez trade coming out of the lockout. He lost the first half of 2022 rehabbing, returned to make seven starts, then was shut back down last September.
The injuries persisted over the offseason, as Dunn continued to battle a strain in his rotator cuff area. The Reds sent him out on a minor league rehab stint a couple weeks ago. That raised some hope he might make it back to the mound, even if just in short stints, but he’s unfortunately still not past the shoulder woes.
Dunn owns a 4.44 ERA in 32 big league starts. He’s making $900K this year after avoiding arbitration. He’d likely be in line for the same amount next season if the Reds tender him a contract, though that doesn’t seem assured since Cincinnati would have to carry him on the 40-man roster all offseason. He’ll surpass the four-year service threshold this year and would be eligible for arbitration through 2025 if the Reds keep him on the roster.
He is Dunn. Pun intended. You don’t recover from that many injuries before you even really start your career.
Whats more likely, Dunn pitching next season or Tejay Antone finishing out the year uninjured
Reds got a lemon in that trafe who is Dunn.
Another fail.
They got Williamson and Fraley; Dunn was a throw in. I’m pretty sure the Reds are still cool with the deal
When Fraley is in this current reds line up – they are so much better ! I pegged him for a fill in til these youngsters came up but he’s solidified himself this year in that line up and Reds are as dangerous as the O’s when Fraleys in the lineup !
Reds FO should go through a pitching staff overhaul this winter, just too many often-injured, underperforming and unproven arms to start 2024.
And how do you suggest they go about that?
Trades and/or FA
@Raúl Paz: Which of their best young players should they trade, and which other teams have surplus pitching to give up?
The Reds have almost no money on the books for 2024. They should have plenty to spend on free agent pitching without needing to make any trades.
@Armaments216: But there will be a lot of teams and money chasing a few top pitchers, and teams like the Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, and Yankees have more money than teams like the Reds.
No they don’t. They are coming into a golden age of young pitching. Greens and Abbott will be 24 going into next season and the worthy of top 3 rotation quality. Williamson and ashcraft will both be 26 and are both legit back of rotation pieces. Lodolo will be 26 and is a wild card. He can either be a top 3 or get moved to pen.
Reds also got 2 more starters that’ll be ready to contribute next year in Phillips and Petty- those 2 are legit prospects !
That’s 7 potential quality starters under 27 that can contribute next year. Golden age.
I hope they’ll all be able to remain healthy
Don’t forget Rhett Lowder, their first round draft pick from this year. He should move fast through the minors and has a high floor. Should be at least a solid mid rotation guy. Lyon Richardson (although he struggled in his first taste of the majors) and Julian Aguiar have also both had great seasons in the minors, and could both be ready by next season. In my opinion, the Reds just need to add one top of the rotation arm this off season, and fill the rest of the rotation out with the youngsters. I could see them bringing Sonny Gray back.
This is the most impressed I’ve been w Richardson. He has a chance. Let’s see Lowder get some starts under his belt before we declare him a rotation piece. I don’t want to take anything away from Phillips and petty. They are high floor prospects w proven track records.
You’re all making a big, probably fallacious assumption that all or most of these guys steer clear of the epidemic of Tommy John and thoracic outlet surgeries resulting from higher velocity and more breaking stuff that derail so many careers. Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Steven Strasburg, Noah Syndergaard, and the list goes on and on.
Good luck with that.
While it is true the Reds will have some money freed up to spend on FA pitching. Here is why I don’t think it will happen
1. The Castellinis are the cheapest owners in sports
2. With big market teams like NY a Mets, NY Yankees, LA Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels all looking to
Revamp their rotations this winter. Who here think the Reds will outbid those teams?
3. Free agent pitchers don’t want to pitch in Great American Ball Park
Will never understand why this wasn’t just done two years ago. Wasted time and talent
Probably because his shoulder tendons didn’t need to get repaired 2 years ago? Rest and rehab have to be tried first before a guy goes in for surgery.