Reds include Chase Burns on Opening Day roster in six-starter group

Reds manager Terry Francona announced that Chase Burns, Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson made the Opening Day roster, joining Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo and Brady Singer as six starting pitchers; the team said it will not treat this as a traditional six-man rotation.

The Cincinnati Reds placed top prospect Chase Burns on their Opening Day roster, along with Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson. Those three join Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo and Brady Singer to give the club six pitchers listed as starters. Manager Terry Francona said the team does not plan to run a standard six-man rotation. The move is presented as a temporary way to manage workloads for young pitchers early in the season. Current details: - Francona announced Burns, Lowder and Williamson made the Opening Day roster alongside Abbott, Lodolo and Singer. - The club will not treat the group as a traditional six-man rotation and plans to decide roles on a game-by-game basis. - Williamson is expected to be used in one of the early games, with the team considering putting him in after Burns or starting him in place of another youngster. - The arrangement is described as temporary to help keep inexperienced major-league pitchers fresh as the season progresses. - Ace Hunter Greene is reported to be out until July after undergoing surgery earlier in the month. Summary: The roster move gives the Reds added depth while key players recover and while young starters gain experience. The team frames the approach as workload management rather than a permanent rotation change. Undetermined at this time.