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'Chip on my shoulder': How Cincinnati Reds rookie Carson Spiers might force longer look

gordon wittenmyer, cincinnati enquirer
·4 min read

Even as their Opening Day starter produced his worst start of the season, the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff showed it might be better than it was even a few days ago.

If that proves to be the case, then the end of a seven-game losing streak Sunday might also be the start of things to come for rookie Carson Spiers and the Reds staff over the next 96 games, as they take a day off before opening a two-game series Tuesday night against the Cleveland Guardians at Great American Ball Park.

“We’ve talked about that since the beginning of spring training with some of our young pitchers – both relievers and starters – that we’re real excited about,” manager David Bell said after Spiers announced his presence with authority with a career-high 5 2/3 innings of scoreless pitching in relief of Frankie Montas in that streak-ending loss to the Cubs on Sunday.

Carson Spiers, who had been called up earlier in the day, kept the Reds in the game Sunday after starter Frankie Montas was knocked out in the second inning. Spiers pitched a career-high 5 2/3 shutout innings in the eventual 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Carson Spiers, who had been called up earlier in the day, kept the Reds in the game Sunday after starter Frankie Montas was knocked out in the second inning. Spiers pitched a career-high 5 2/3 shutout innings in the eventual 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Announced his presence with authority again, actually.

Because he's one of the few Reds pitchers with versatility and minor-league options, Spiers has been the staff yo-yo this season, called up, sent down, called up, sent down, and called up again Sunday – despite doing almost nothing but perform well in valuable long-relief outings each time.

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The difference this time is that the Reds’ rotation is in flux with struggling Graham Ashcraft having been optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday, Hunter Greene having his next turn pushed back to Friday because of workload management and the Reds planning a Nick Martinez-centric bullpen day to cover Tuesday’s game against the Guardians.

“The way he’s pitching – I don’t want to get too far ahead – but with what he’s showing, he can pitch really in any spot,” Bell said. “He can start for us. He’s been doing really well in Triple-A starting games. But he hasn’t blinked from bringing him out of the bullpen.”

With so many variables in play between now and June 19, when the Reds will next need a fifth starter, Bell isn’t committing to Spiers joining the rotation for now.

But after lowering his ERA this season to 2.33 in that seven-strikeout performance in his fifth appearance (19 1/3 innings), the right-hander has the look of a top-five starter on the current roster.

Carson Spiers could be an option for the next time the Reds need a starter on June 19, but manager David Bell was non committal on Sunday. Spiers has a 2.33 ERA in five appearances over 19 1/3 innings with the Reds this season.
Carson Spiers could be an option for the next time the Reds need a starter on June 19, but manager David Bell was non committal on Sunday. Spiers has a 2.33 ERA in five appearances over 19 1/3 innings with the Reds this season.

“Personally, yeah, I know I belong. I know I can compete at the highest level here in baseball,” said Spiers, who acknowledged the challenge of shuttling between the minors and majors.

“I don’t worry about the business side of things,” he said. “I can’t sit here and (dwell) on all that stuff. I just go out and play the game the way I know how. And then whatever happens, happens.”

Spiers, 26, has long understood the business of the game, if only through his uncle, former big-league infielder Bill Spiers, who also was on the Clemson coaching staff when Carson pitched there.

When Carson went undrafted as a junior in the pandemic-shortened, five-round draft in 2020, he got another business lesson, eventually signing a free agent deal with the Reds.

By the time he’d proven his value in two big-league stints this year only to get sent back to the minors May 27, he was handling the Louisville shuttle with poise, no matter how much it sucked.

“The last time I got optioned down, David and I talked, and he said, ‘Look, I hate it, but it’s just kind of what we have to do,’ “ Spiers said. “I get it.

“I came into spring training wanting to compete (for a big-league job) and give the guys a run for their money,” he said. “Whatever happens after that I can’t control at all, so I didn’t really worry about that side of it.”

All the shuttling makes the results especially impressive, including a 2.51 ERA in 46 2/3 innings for Louisville, including eight starts.

Don’t bet against him finding a way to stick around longer this time. His results and the staff’s state of flux suggests that much. So does his manager, who said he’s been impressed since Spiers seemed “unfazed” when he broke in last September during a playoff chase.

And then there’s the edge he takes to the mound.

“I play the whole time with a chip on my shoulder,” he said. “You can look at my story. Undrafted free agent. I got bypassed in my junior year in college in the whole draft, stuff like that.

“So I always carry a chip around,” he said. “I know who I am. I believe in myself,”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Chip on my shoulder': Carson Spiers pushes Cincinnati Reds for more