Cincinnati Reds sign pitcher Chase Anderson, who will start Monday vs. Cardinals
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Chase Anderson spent the last month as a Triple-A reliever, but the Cincinnati Reds are in dire need of starting pitching depth and immediately will add him to their starting rotation.
The Reds signed the right-handed Anderson, who has played eight years in the big leagues, to a minor-league contract and he’s expected to start Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park.
Anderson, who was pitching with Tampa Bay's Triple-A affiliate, opted out of his minor-league deal on Thursday to sign with the Reds. He joined the club Saturday and was met by many familiar faces. He's worked with pitching coaches Derek Johnson and Lee Tunnell. He knew catching coach J.R. House and David Bell's late brother, Mike, when he came up through the Arizona Diamondbacks' farm system.
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When Mike Moustakas saw Anderson in the clubhouse, teammates together in Milwaukee, he shouted, "Chase the Ace!"
"My agent got on the phones and talked to a bunch of teams," Anderson said. "The Reds were the most interested. Obviously, DJ here, Lee and some familiar faces from the coaching staff and some guys I’ve played with, it’s very appealing."
There was a void in the rotation after T.J. Zeuch landed on the 15-day injured list with upper back soreness Thursday. The Reds, who traded Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle at the trade deadline, are without rookie starters Hunter Greene (shoulder strain) and Graham Ashcraft (bicep soreness).
Anderson, 34, hasn’t started a game since July 15. He spent the last month as a reliever in Triple-A and threw a combined 10 pitches in his last two appearances, so he’s not built up to pitch deep into a game.
"I haven’t thrown over two innings in like a month, but I feel like I could throw three or four innings right now," Anderson said. "I feel healthy, feel good. I’m looking forward to giving this team what they need this next month as a starter. Hopefully, I can eat some innings and stabilize this rotation a little bit."
The Reds already inserted Luis Cessa into the rotation, his first time being used as a starter since 2018.
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In the minor leagues, Anderson had a 4.63 ERA in 17 appearances (15 starts) with the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A team this year. He opted out of his contract with Detroit on July 17 before signing with Tampa Bay. He had a 3.60 ERA in 10 outings in the Rays' organization.
"We’ve seen him pitch a lot. He has a connection to a few people here for sure," Bell said. "I feel like I know him from those connections. He does have experience and he’s been a really good pitcher for a long time now, so I know he’s really happy with this opportunity for all those reasons. It’s a good opportunity for us to bring him in."
Anderson, who pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers from 2016-19, is excited for the opportunity to work with Johnson. The best season of his career came in 2017 when he had a 12-4 record and a 2.74 ERA in 25 starts.
"I know that was four or five years ago, but that year was probably my best year of my career," said Anderson, who had a 2-4 record and a 6.75 ERA with the Philadelphia Phillies last year in nine starts. "A lot of that goes to DJ. It’s pitch usage, pitch sequencing, and him knowing how to tap into certain guys and try to get that full potential out. I know I’m a little older now, but I still feel like I did in ’17. I feel really good. The way he words things really clicked with me that year and our time together in Milwaukee. Maybe we can untap some of that stuff again."
Anderson will become the 33rd pitcher to appear in a game for the Reds this season, which is two shy of the club record set last year.
Reds roster moves: Mike Moustakas returns to IL, Colin Moran called up
Moustakas missed eight games when he was on the injured list with a left calf strain earlier this month and now his season could be over because of the same injury.
Moustakas returned to the injured list Saturday with a left calf strain, the move retroactive to Wednesday. He aggravated the injury when he hit a double in Tuesday’s loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, exiting in the sixth inning.
"He has a Grade 2 calf strain," Bell said. "Last time was a Grade 1. He will not be back at the end of the 10 days."
It’s a disappointing setback for Moustakas, who has been limited to 78 games this season and was expected to be a regular starter at first base with Joey Votto out for the year. Moustakas hit 8-for-22 with a double and a homer in five games between stints on the IL for his calf strain.
Moustakas has been on the IL six times this year, though three times were placements on the COVID-related IL for reporting illness symptoms.
"He’s been durable throughout his career and it’s been a tough stretch for him," Bell said. "You take pride as a player being on the field. He definitely has that to the point of he does and says whatever he has to so he can be on the field. His body hasn’t allowed him to do that. Now the focus is whether it’s this season or next, just getting everything as healthy as he possibly can so that he can not have to worry about that."
Colin Moran was added to the 40-man roster and called up from Triple-A Louisville. Moran was hitting .249 with seven homers, 11 doubles and 26 RBI in 53 minor league games. He was designated for assignment in June after playing in 37 games with the Reds, but he remained in the organization after he wasn’t claimed off waivers.
"Colin is a Major Leaguer, that’s how I see it," Bell said. "He’s produced at the Major League level. He did a good job for us when he was here. In a way, he felt like a part of our team the whole year even though he hadn’t been here. He’s a left-handed hitter who can play first base, so the roster fit was good."
The Reds have one of their top infield prospects at Triple-A, Spencer Steer, but he has only one professional start at first base. Steer, ranked No. 98 on Baseball America’s top prospects list, was acquired from Minnesota in the Tyler Mahle trade. The 24-year-old Steer is hitting .316 with five doubles, three homers and 10 RBI in 20 games since joining the Reds’ farm system with a .407 on-base percentage.
"I think those are just bigger conversations," Bell said. "Obviously, we’re excited about a lot of guys. I think a lot of times with the younger players, they are bigger decisions where you don’t just do something because you need somebody here quick the next day. Those will be conversations that will be ongoing. We have September coming up where you have an extra spot. That wasn’t the right decision for today."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds sign pitcher Chase Anderson, who will start Monday vs. Cardinals
