Grading Chase Burns’ Second Season After Cincinnati Reds Decision

The Cincinnati Reds have decided to shut down their ace Chase Burns for the rest of the year. Burns landed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with a right groin strain.  Carson Spiers was called up from Triple-A while outfielder TJ Friedl was designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

The move brought an end to a sophomore season that deserved nothing less than an A+.

For a team that fell apart in the first half, the 23-year-old right-hander was the one constant. He emerged as the best pitcher in the rotation and pitched like a National League Cy Young contender. No arm on the staff came close to his impact.

Burns has gone 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA and 185 strikeouts over 154⅓ innings. He has the best winning percentage in the league. He also earned his first career All-Star selection in July for the National League. His fastball has overpowered hitters all year long.

On July 18, a couple weeks after that All-Star nod, they signed Burns to a seven-year, $105 million extension that runs through 2033. It buys out three years of arbitration along with two years of unrestricted free agency. The deal ties the largest guarantee the franchise has ever handed a pitcher, matching Homer Bailey’s 2014 deal. It also ranks tied for the third-largest contract in club history. 

The shutdown itself is about protection. Groin tightness is the same reason that Burns did not pitch in the All-Star Game, and the issue lingered after his start on August 30 against the Chicago Cubs. Rather than send him out for one last three-inning outing, the Reds simply ended his year.

Burns threw only 109⅓ combined innings across the majors and minors in 2025, then jumped to 154⅓ this season. To ease that strain, the Reds had already capped him at three innings in each of his final three starts. His arm has to be carefully managed too. As a rookie, he missed time after landing on the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain.

Cincinnati sits at 72-84, last in the NL Central and eliminated from the postseason. Now the focus for Burns will shift to 2027. 

Because he was shut down early, Burns will likely report to spring training more refreshed. 

In a season where almost nothing went right for this organization, Burns was the exception. A 15-win season, a sub-three ERA, an All-Star appearance and a long-term extension all before turning 24 make this an unquestionable A+ campaign.