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Alarm bells might be going off in the executive offices of the Cincinnati Reds after what happened Wednesday night in Louisville, Ky.
Rhett Lowder, the No. 31 overall prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline, made a rehab start for the Louisville Bats against the Gwinnett Stripers. The No. 2 prospect in the Reds system, Lowder threw just 12 pitches before being removed from the game, making that ominous walk off the field with a trainer.
After a leadoff walk in the first inning, Lowder retired the side. When he took the mound in the second inning, he threw just one pitch before Reds staff left the dugout to talk with him – then left the diamond with him due to an apparent injury.
Rhett Lowder left his rehab start tonight for Louisville after just 12 pitches with an injury.#Reds #RedsMiLB pic.twitter.com/dWN7mtd1pF
— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) May 22, 2025
In a rehab start last week against Triple-A Indianapolis, Lowder got just one out and departed after giving up four runs on four hits and a walk, throwing 29 pitches.
Heading into the game Thursday night, the 23-year-old Lowder was 0-3 in three starts and a 14.21 ERA. In 6.1 innings at three levels, he’d given up 13 hits, with batters crushing the ball against him, hitting .394.
He has been sidelined since spring training by elbow soreness in his right pitching arm.
The Reds selected Lowder with the No. 7 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, making him the next pitcher taken after Pittsburgh Pirates star Paul Skenes.
In 2024, he made a fast rise through the Reds system, going from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A and finally to Cincinnati after just 22 starts. He was 6-4 with a 3.64 ERA, striking out 113 batters and walking 24 in 108.2 innings in the minors.
In six starts with the Reds, he was 2-2 with a 1.17 ERA in 30.2 innings.
Lowder showed enough promise in his stint in the big leagues last season that the Reds had to be excited about his potential. Now, they must be wondering what is next with this alarming apparent injury.
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Yankees slugger Aaron Judge lands at No. 1 on prestigious list
The MLB regular season is roughly 75 percent complete. Plenty has changed since the start of the season, but one constant is New York Yankees superstar outfielder Aaron Judge. On Tuesday, ESPN updated its top-50 player rankings. Judge, who was fourth on the World Wide Leader's initial 2025 rankings of baseball's best players in early April, claimed the top spot. Los Angeles Dodgers DH/starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts rounded out the top four on the April list. Just over four months later, Judge edged Ohtani for No. 1. ESPN shared the article with the fully updated rankings on X (formerly Twitter). Judge is raking again this season, posting 37 HRs and 87 RBI with an impressive .336 BA through 109 games. It's fair to wonder where the spiraling New York Yankees (63-56 through Monday) would be without his production. Ohtani, meanwhile, hasn't done anything to drop down in the rankings; it's just hard to argue with the numbers Judge is putting up. The 31-year-old Dodgers star has 42 HRs and 78 RBI and a .284 batting average in 117 games. Plus, he has a 2.37 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 19 innings. Among the biggest risers on ESPN's list are Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (86th in April to fourth) and Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (unranked to seventh). For Betts and Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez, 2025 hasn't been as kind. Both fell from the top 10 to outside the top 50 altogether. The most important games of the season are still to come, and that's where Judge and Ohtani could add a few more bullet points to their already impressive resumes.
Jets QB Justin Fields had 'alarming' practice against Giants
New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields found out he has a long way to go following his performance at Tuesday's joint practice with the New York Giants. Per Connor Hughes of SNY TV, Fields started hot at the practice before struggling during the move-the-ball period. "Very interesting practice for #Jets QB Justin Fields," Hughes posted on X. "He finished 7 of 12 with a TD. 5 of 5 to start practice. Then 0 for 4. Finished 2 of 3 with the really impressive TD to Jeremy Ruckert in red zone (starter 18 yard line). "The offensive performance was a bit alarming in move-the-ball period of practice. Fields Co. had three attempts to get down field. They didn’t gain a first down. Only gained yards twice (two short Breece Hall runs). Three sacks. That needs to be fixed. #Giants defense toyed with NYJ during that period." Some Jets fans online thought Hughes was using hyperbole to characterize the practice, but he doubled down on his judgment of the offense. Fields looked strong on his first and only drive in the Jets' 30-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night. He went 3-of-4 passing for 42 yards and rushed two times for 14 yards and a touchdown. However, the Giants defense at the joint practice is a much better unit than the short-handed one the Packers trotted out for the first preseason game. Fields' issues seen with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, with holding the ball too long and not being able to pass consistently downfield, were a factor against the Giants. Following Saturday's game, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said Fields was getting better but had a lot to improve on. Tuesday's practice was a humbling reminder that Fields needs to become a consistent passer if the Jets are going to move the ball on good defenses in the regular season.
Najee Harris may have role reduced after fireworks accident
Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris still has yet to return to action after a July 4 fireworks accident, and it sounds like he does not necessarily have a job guaranteed to him when he does. Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman admitted Tuesday that the team is planning a steady rotation at running back whether or not Harris is available to play in Week 1. First-round draft pick Omarion Hampton, however, is the player who has part of the rotation locked down, not Harris. The Chargers likely intended to use Harris as a part-time back no matter what. However, he certainly cannot have helped himself with his eye injury. The issue was described as superficial after it happened and Harris was expected to be ready for the season, but he is still on the non-football injury list and has yet to participate in a full practice. Harris, 27, is entering his first season with the Chargers after signing with them in March. He can earn up to $9.25 million on his one-year deal, but that will require him to remain part of the rotation with Hampton.
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Makes Direct Statement About Mason Rudolph's Spot On QB Depth Chart
Dan Campbell questions whether he set Lions up for failure
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell thinks he set his team up for failure last season with the messages he sent. The Lions won the NFC North and the top overall seed in the NFC Playoffs by going 15-2, but lost in their first playoff game to the Washington Commanders. In a new interview with WXYZ in Detroit, Campbell confessed that he thinks his messaging led the Lions to get too complacent after achieving the goal of securing the No. 1 seed. “There was a little part of me last year, I’m like, Man, did I put such an emphasis on the one-seed, playing at home, all these things that it was almost like — the set of circumstances, we had a bunch of injuries — that it was like, [sigh]. We took a deep breath,” Campbell said. “And then it was like, ‘Oh man, we reached one of those goals,’ but the ultimate goal is the Super Bowl.” “So I just, in my own head, did I set us up for failure by the way that I spoke about it? I think about little things like that. Whereas, you know what? We didn’t lose on the road last year. What if we had gone on the road?” Campbell is quick to take responsibility when his team loses, but last year’s playoff exit was particularly shocking. The Minnesota Vikings pushed them all the way to Week 18, giving them no real opportunity to exhale. Their playoff bye may have given them an opportunity to do that when they shouldn’t have. Of course, Campbell was plenty confident in his team heading into the playoffs. Still, the messaging will clearly be different in Detroit this season.
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