Abbott revealed some interesting adjustments before his latest start.
The Cincinnati Reds took care of business on Thursday afternoon, beating the Colorado Rockies 6-4 behind a strong outing from Andrew Abbott and a go-ahead two-run homer from TJ Friedl.
Abbott tossed six innings and gave up just two runs on five hits while striking out five, earning his first win of the season in his seventh start.
It was a much-needed bounce-back for Abbott, who entered the game with a bloated ERA after a rough stretch through his first six outings.
After the game, Abbott pointed directly to the work he has been putting in with pitching coach Ben Johnson and the team's biomechanics department.
Abbott Opens Up
"I think it's a big tip to [Johnson] and our biomechanics staff," Abbott said. "They did a deep dive on me and were figuring out that we're standing a little more taller than we are [and I was] bent over last year. Arm angle is up, all those things. ... I felt really good and really sound today."
That arm angle shift has been one of the bigger changes in Abbott's profile this season, jumping from 48 degrees in 2025 to 52 degrees in 2026.
The adjustment worked against him early on, but Thursday felt different with tighter command and a fastball that had real life.
He even wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning that could have blown the game open.
Nathaniel Lowe homered in the second inning, and Spencer Steer drove in two runs to back Abbott up.
The win pushed Cincinnati to 20-11, their best 31-game start since 2006 and first place in the NL Central.
A Staff Proving Doubters Wrong
The timing of Abbott's best start this season matters.
The Reds have been playing without ace Hunter Greene since before the season began after he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow in March to remove bone spurs.
Greene is not expected back until sometime in July, and fellow starter Nick Lodolo has also been sidelined with a blister on his pitching hand.
Losing two starters of that caliber before Opening Day would cripple most rotations, but Cincinnati has found ways to stay afloat.
Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder have shown flashes as young arms filling bigger roles, Brady Singer has been steady, and Abbott was trusted enough to get the Opening Day nod as a 2025 All-Star.
Meanwhile, Elly De La Cruz continues raking at the plate and has the Reds looking like a legitimate threat in a loaded NL Central where all five teams still hold winning records.
If Abbott can build off this start and the mechanical work keeps paying off, Cincinnati's rotation might not miss Greene as much as everyone expected.