As Cactus League play kicks off, here’s what to watch for the Reds
The reds begin Cactus League play with Chase Burns slated to start the exhibition opener, a compact spring that already highlights several roster questions despite an otherwise healthy camp.
What to watch for the Reds in Cactus League play
Chase Burns is scheduled to start the Cactus League opener and is expected to throw two innings. That start will serve as an early measuring stick as the club moves through its Arizona exhibition slate, with the Guardians as the opening opponent and Cleveland set across the diamond. Manager Terry Francona has described camp as quiet and relatively settled, a sign that there are fewer urgent questions but still plenty of items worth tracking over the next month.
Lineup composition and bench construction
One of the clearest patterns emerging in camp is the potential for a predominantly right-handed everyday lineup: TJ Friedl is listed as a left-handed batter, and Elly De La Cruz is a switch-hitter, but many regulars are exclusively right-handed. Noelvi Marte, Eugenio Suárez, Sal Stewart, Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, Tyler Stephenson, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jose Trevino are all noted as right-handed hitters. That concentration shapes bench decisions, with only a handful of true left-handed bats in camp—Will Benson, JJ Bleday, Héctor Rodríguez and Tyler Callihan—and two recent additions on minor-league pacts who factor into the left-handed mix: Nathaniel Lowe and Michael Toglia (the latter a switch-hitter). Lowe and Toglia are noted as not being optionable, which narrows how the club can shuffle bench pieces once rosters are finalized.
Position experiments and playing time shifts
Spring repositioning is a prominent theme. Sal Stewart has shifted away from third-base drills and is working at first base and second base; Francona expects Stewart to play second in Saturday’s exhibition against the Guardians. Noelvi Marte is taking reps in the outfield—right and center—after not having played the outfield since his youth, an adjustment that included early growing pains alongside defensive highlights. Ke’Bryan Hayes remains the steady presence at third base that allowed Marte to begin transitioning to the outfield, and Matt McLain’s presence at second further influences where other bats find playing time.
Rotation race, roster projections and bench balance
Roster projections circulating from spring chatter highlight a competitive battle for the fifth spot in the rotation. Names in that running include Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar. The projection narrative suggests that Burns may be positioned to claim a prominent role immediately, while the others could be handled more cautiously after injury-marred seasons the previous year. On the position-player side, a recent non-roster signing of Nathaniel Lowe has shifted expectations at first base and could nudge Spencer Steer into more time in left field, with Stewart, Lowe and Suárez seen as rotating through first base and designated hitter duties.
What matters next
Saturday’s opener will be a compact but revealing snapshot: Burns’ short outing, Stewart at second, and how the early outfield reps for Marte look in live action. Bench construction remains a live issue given limited spots and the mix of left- and right-handed bats in camp. Projections about rotation roles and roster carry decisions are likely to evolve as spring innings accumulate and the team finalizes its plan for Opening Day, when the club is scheduled to open the regular season on March 26 at Great American Ball Park against Boston. These early exhibition games will shape the first formal answers, but details may evolve as camp continues.
