Reds Drop Series to Royals as Injury Crisis Deepens Ahead of St Louis Trip
The Cincinnati Reds (31-30) conclude their home stand with a series loss to the Kansas City Royals, facing mounting injury concerns and roster shuffles before a critical road trip to the NL Central.
The Cincinnati Reds concluded their homestand with a 5-2 defeat against the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park on June 3, 2026, dropping the series despite a strong individual performance from starting pitcher Chase Burns. The loss underscores a turbulent period for the club, which enters its upcoming road trip with a 31-30 record and a growing list of unavailable key players.
Burns, who was scratched from the June 1 series opener due to illness, rebounded to pitch six innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out nine. His earned run average drifted slightly from 1.96 to 2.05. However, the Reds’ bullpen failed to hold a late tie, with reliever Tony Santillan allowing three runs in the top of the ninth inning. Michael Massey singled in the go-ahead run for a 3-2 lead, followed by a two-run homer from Nick Loftin that secured the victory for Kansas City.
The Reds’ homestand was marred by significant injuries to core personnel. Outfielder Elly De La Cruz was placed on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain, while starters Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson were sidelined with elbow issues. The roster instability prompted several transactional moves, including the optioning of veteran outfielder TJ Friedl to Triple-A Louisville and the recall of infielder Noelvi Marte.
Amidst the losses, there were structural developments within the pitching staff. Chris Paddack, after three solid starts, was moved from the rotation to the bullpen. Meanwhile, right-hander Rhett Lowder is rehabilitating with Triple-A Louisville after exiting his May 7 start with an injury. Lowder struck out eight batters in five innings during a rehab start against the Memphis Redbirds on June 2 and is scheduled to make his first major league start since May 7 on June 7.
The Reds will travel to St Louis to face the Cardinals from June 5-7, an opportunity to improve their 2-10 record against National League Central opposition. The series begins with Brady Singer facing Kyle Leahy on June 5. Following the Cardinals series, Cincinnati will head to Petco Park to face the San Diego Padres, who enter the series with a 32-28 record after a recent slump.
