Reds Preview: Braves Series, Injury Woes & Elly's Load | Beatline Reds

The Reds just dropped a 9-1 game to the Cubs on Sunday, where Pete Crow Armstrong hit his 45th homer.

Now they turn around and face the Braves.

Tony, where do we start?

We start with the reality of the rotation.

With Chase Burns placed on the 15-day IL due to a right groin strain, the Reds lost their ace.

He was 15-3 with a 2.86 ERA.

That's a massive hole to fill.

Andrew Abbott and Nick Lottolo are likely the only starters left who can handle significant innings without extra rest.

So, who starts tonight? The Braves are at home.

They're playing well, pushing for a playoff berth.

How does Cincinnati match up?

If Brady Singer or Rhett Loader takes the bump, it's an uphill battle.

The Braves' lineup is potent.

In that last loss to Chicago, the Reds' defense looked disjointed.

Against Atlanta, who has more power and speed, that could be fatal.

We need to see if the Reds can keep the ball in the park.

It feels like the Reds are fighting gravity right now.

Every mistake is magnified because there's no margin for error.

Did you see the ABS challenge system tracker? The Reds aren't ranking high in batter success rates against advanced metrics.

Exactly.

And that brings us to the opposing pitcher.

If Atlanta sends out someone like Max Fried or Charlie Morton, the Reds' remaining hitters, many of whom are plugging gaps due to injuries, will struggle with pitch selection.

Plate discipline will be key, but with guys like Carlos Jorge and Dane Myers in center field, the outfield coverage is also a concern.

Let's talk about that outfield.

With Spencer Steer out on the 60-day IL, who is filling the corner spots.