Zachary CariolaFri, May 8, 2026 at 9:25 AM UTC·2 min readReds' struggles aren't hindering their odds of making the playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cincinnati Reds have hit a major rough patch this season, as they have lost seven straight games. To make matters worse for the Reds, they have lost two arms on their pitching staff to injury, with right-handers Emilio Pagan and Rhett Lowder leaving their outings early.
Pagan left with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain while pitching against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, while Lowder left his start on Thursday after three innings with a shoulder injury. Despite their struggles as of late and the injuries mounting, the Reds still are over .500 (20-18) and still have a great chance to make the postseason.
The Reds snuck into the playoffs last season after the New York Mets collapsed down the stretch (28-37) post All-Star break, but lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Wild Card round (2-0). According to MLB.com's Thomas Harrigan, the Reds ranked fifth as one of the biggest surprise teams that have a chance to make the postseason.
"The Reds actually made the playoffs last season, so it's hard calling them a surprise contender," wrote Harrigan. "But still, this is a team that has reached the postseason in consecutive years just once (2012-13) since they won back-to-back World Series titles in 1975-76. They also didn’t clinch a playoff berth last year until the final day of the regular season and entered 2026 with the fifth-longest playoffs odds (per FanGraphs) of any NL team. So it was definitely surprising to see them start out 20-11 in 2026."
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The Reds' offense has seen great performances from shortstop Elly De La Cruz, who is looking like a possible MVP candidate, and rookie infielder Sal Stewart, who has been a bright spot after showing promise last season. In 38 games, De La Cruz is hitting .265 with a .847 OPS and 10 home runs, while Stewart is hitting .245 with a .830 OPS and 10 home runs.
The Reds will have to rely on the offense to hold things over until the pitching staff gets healthy. Ace Hunter Greene (right elbow surgery) should return around July, which will give a boost to the starting rotation. Pagan, meanwhile, is listed to return sometime in June or July.
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