Reds reliever Ian Gibaut has been activated from the 60-day injured list and sent straight to Triple-A Louisville, according to transaction log on MLB.com. The right-hander had been on the IL with a right shoulder impingement. Gibaut has more than three years of service, so he could turn down the outright assignment in favor of free agency.
The 31-year-old pitched for the Reds in parts of four seasons from 2022 to 2025. In 137 2/3 innings with Cincinnati, he has posted a 3.92 ERA with a rough average strikeout rate of 22.5% and a walk rate of 9.3% below average. The highlight of his tenure was Gibaut’s 2023 season, in which he had a 3.33 ERA in 75 2/3 innings out of the Reds’ bullpen and allowed hard hits at a rate of just 31.8%, well below the league average of 38.2% among qualified relievers that year. Unfortunately, Gibaut only made two appearances the following season when he underwent surgery for a nerve problem in his forearm. The Reds non-tendered him in November 2024, but re-signed him to a minor league contract in January 2025.
In 25 1/3 innings across 25 appearances this year, Gibaut had a 4.62 ERA but didn’t miss many bats, with a strikeout rate of just 13.2%. Some of that can be attributed to injury, as his season was interrupted by two separate trips to the IL, the first of which occurred in late April. Gibaut also seemed to be working with less equipment, as his average fastball velocity dropped from 90.2 mph in 2023 to 93 mph in 2025 (he threw just two innings in 2024). However, he still did well in limiting hard contact with a 33.7% hard hit rate. He also lowered his walk rate to 7.3%, which was better than league average.
While this move will keep him out of the Reds’ 40-man roster, it’s likely that Gibaut could work his way into a center relief role in 2026 if he chooses to remain with the organization. Emilio Pagan and swingman Nick Martinez are free agents. In the meantime, Scott Barlow And Brent Suter both have club options, although the $6.5 million value of Barlow’s option could keep him from returning. Gibaut earned a more affordable $1.3 million in 2025 and should earn a similar amount, if not slightly less, in 2026. He can be controlled through arbitration through 2027.
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