Reds add 3.06 ERA pitcher who hasn't played in MLB in 2 years

Billy Heyen

Reds add 3.06 ERA pitcher who hasn't played in MLB in 2 years image

The Cincinnati Reds are giving another chance to someone they haven't seen in a while.

On Friday, the Reds called up right-hander Connor Phillips from Triple-A, according to beat writer Gordon Wittenmyer.

Phillips has one prior big league stint. He came up in 2023, made five starts, and he hasn't been heard from since.

Still just 24, Phillips spent the majority of 2024 and now 2025 with Triple-A Louisville.

Since his MLB debut, Phillips has a 3.06 ERA in the minors.

In that MLB stint with the Reds, Phillips was 1-1 with a 6.97 ERA.

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This season, he has a 3.21 ERA in 14 relief appearances for Louisville. That includes 12 strikeouts in 14 innings.

No longer stretched out as a starter, Phillips' usage for the Reds will be out of the bullpen.

Phillips was ranked as a top-100 prospect by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline before the 2024 season. Then he struggled a bit with his consistency, and he wasn't on any top-100 lists before this season.

But he has rediscovered some of his form, and Cincy has decided to give him a shot to see what he can add in the big leagues.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle