Reds starter Rhett Lowder completes his third fall league start – Redleg Nation

Saturday night in the Phoenix area, the Peoria Javelinas sent Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder to the mound for his third start of the Arizona Fall League. After missing the entire year with the exception of a pair of rehab starts — both of which ended with a new injury than the one he was rehabbing from — Lowder didn’t spend much time on the mound in 2025. Cincinnati has him in the fall league to get him some innings and work to make up some of that missed time.

The start of the match did not go well for Lowder. He gave up a single to the first batter he faced and then saw him steal second base. Lowder then hit the next batter on the 6th pitch of the plate appearance. Five pitches later, he gave up an RBI single. Three batters all reached base, one scored and he had thrown 15 pitches. He needed twelve more pitches to get out of the inning, but he got two ground outs and a flyout, stranding the two runners.

Things went a little better in the next inning, but it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. Lowder didn’t give up a hit in the inning, but he struggled to put guys aside as it took him 19 pitches to record his three outs. His day ended at that point as he completed exactly two innings for his third straight start.

Lowder threw 46 pitches in the game and had 28 strikeouts. That was the most pitches he has thrown in a start thus far in Arizona. In his first appearance, he needed just 23 pitches to complete his two innings. Last time it took him 32 pitches to do the same. In all three of his appearances he has given up two goals, and in the last two he has earned one. Lowder hasn’t walked anyone yet, but he has hit one batter and now has six strikeouts.

Not everything was great news on the day for the Reds and Peoria. The Reds’ top player, Alfredo Duno, started the game behind the plate. He caught the first inning, but when it was his time to step up to the plate in the top of the second, he pinch hit. Between innings he walked to the clubhouse with all his stuff (the clubhouse is not connected to the dugout in this stadium). It wasn’t clear when he hurt himself, but if he’s not back in the lineup in a few days, I’ll reach out to see what happened.