Chris

Paddack

It went about as well as it could have considering the seven hits and three walks allowed with no strikeouts. Paddack at least limited the Braves to just five hard-hit balls, so there’s that, but there’s not much to build on here in fantasy baseball or in real life. Yunior Marte came on for the first time this season after Paddack left the game and immediately buried the Reds with four more runs, leaving Paddack with no shot at a win. Assuming he remains in the rotation, Paddack figures to face the Royals next week.

Paddack drew the starting assignment for the opening contest of Saturday’s twin bill and managed to save the Reds bullpen by completing five frames. He posted five strikeouts and issued three walks. He’ll continue to draw starts for Cincinnati’s injury-depleted rotation and is in line to take the ball on Friday against Atlanta.

Paddack left with a two-run lead, but that didn’t survive the sixth. He finished the outing with three strikeouts and one walk. He gave up six hits but actually just two hard-hit balls, so this was a stronger performance than any he had before being released by the Marlins. We’d still stay far away from in fantasy leagues. He’ll probably start against the Cardinals next weekend.

The Reds will pay Paddack the major league minimum while the Marlins cover the rest of his $4 million salary. Paddack has a 7.63 ERA in six starts and one relief appearance this season after coming in at 5.35 in 158 innings for the Twins and Tigers last year. He should remain awful for the Reds, but at least he’s stretched out and ready to go, which is what they need with Hunter Greene, Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson all shelved. According to The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosencrans, Paddack will start Saturday against the Guardians, with Andrew Abbott moving up to Friday.

Paddack was designated for assignment by the Marlins on May 5th and cleared waivers on Monday, so he is now a free agent. The 30-year-old posted an inflated 7.34 ERA across 30 2/3 innings this season and should, presumably, simply be organizational starting pitching depth for the Reds.

Paddack’s time with the Marlins is officially over after compiling a bloated 7.34 ERA across 30 2/3 innings. He passed through waivers unclaimed after being removed from Miami’s roster last week. The 30-year-old starter figures to latch on somewhere as an emergency depth option, but his days as a fantasy-relevant option are long gone.

This comes just two days after the Marlins said that Paddack was going to make his next turn in the rotation. Turns out, posting a 7.34 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 30 2/3 innings is not what Miami had in mind for the final spot in their rotation. In the immediate, they will call up a reliever to give them an extra arm in the bullpen, but another starter will be joining the rotation on Friday. While everybody wants it to be Robbie Snelling, and he is an option, fellow left-hander Braxton Garrett is actually on the 40-man roster and has a 1.71 ERA in five Triple-A starts this year. We would bet that Garrett gets the call on Friday, but it’s undecided for now.

Paddack dug himself into a hole in the first inning, giving up a double and two walks to load the bases. One run would come in on a fielder’s choice, another on a bases-loaded walk, and a Bryson Stott three-run blast would make it a six-run opening frame. He tossed a scoreless second, then allowed an unearned run on two hits following an error in the third. His day would be done with two outs in the inning at 73 pitches. Paddack now holds a 7.34 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, and a 27/10 K/BB ratio across 30 2/3 innings. His next start is scheduled to come on Friday in Miami against the Nationals — and manager Clayton McCullough confirmed after the game that he would make it — but it’s hard to imagine he keeps his rotation spot much longer with Braxton Garrett and Robby Snelling pitching well at Triple-A.

Expectations were low for Paddack going into the start considering how much he’s struggled, but all things considered, this wasn’t too bad. He walked one and struck out one while allowing just four hits, and he blanked the talented Dodger lineup after giving up a pair in the first. The Marlins have two of the best pitching prospects in Triple-A right now in Thomas White and Robby Snelling, and they both seem like better options than Paddack; even with this non-abhorrent outing. He’ll face the Phillies on Sunday.

We’re not sure what it was that caused the Marlins to think they could get Paddack turned around, but it certainly doesn’t seem to be happening. He has a 6.38 ERA, having given up five homers in 24 innings. That’s about his same home run pace from last year, when he allowed 31 in 158 innings for the Twins. It’s probably time to send him to the pen and give his spot to Braxton Garrett, who was clearly more deserving in the first place.