Cincinnati Reds scheduled starter Chase Burns was scratched from his June 1 start against the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park because of illness. Lyon Richardson is expected to replace Burns, while manager Terry Francona said he is hopeful Burns
The sprint never happened.
Elly De La Cruz exited the Reds-Braves series finale after a fifth-inning single when he pulled out of a sprint for a possible extra-base hit. It was the kind of half-moment that makes a dugout hold its breath—then the bigger news landed for Cincinnati’s rotation.
The Cincinnati Reds announced scheduled starting pitcher Chase Burns was scratched from his series-opening start June 1 against the Kansas City Royals at Great American Ball Park because of illness. Lyon Richardson is expected to replace Burns as the Reds’ starter, opposing Kansas City’s Luinder Avila.
Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters he’s hopeful Burns can start the team’s series finale June 3 against the Royals.
For Burns, the season has been too strong to dismiss as anything but a sudden disruption. He is 7-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 11 starts this season for the Reds, totaling 72 strikeouts over 64 1/3 innings. He has been the star of Cincinnati’s starting rotation and is among National League Cy Young Award candidates.
The injury trail leading to this latest scare has been part of the conversation, too. Burns was struck in the backside of his upper thigh by a comebacker from the Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper during a May 19 start.
Richardson’s path to the rotation, meanwhile, has been built on a brief call-up and a mix of work in Cincinnati. He was selected May 30 from Triple-A Louisville. This season at that level of exposure, Richardson has posted a 4.75 ERA in 18 appearances, including making one start.
He has appeared in one game this season for the Reds, and has made 40 appearances over four seasons with Cincinnati. In 34 relief appearances for the Reds in 2025, Richardson posted a 4.54 ERA and allowed just two home runs over 37 2/3 innings.
Between a Cy Young-caliber starter being held back by illness and Richardson preparing to step in, the Reds’ June 1 decision lands at a high-stakes moment for both player and team—one day after a series finale had already ended with a sudden exit.
For now, all attention turns to whether Burns can recover in time for June 3, as Cincinnati measures how much it can lean on its rotation without its current centerpiece.
Cincinnati Reds Chase Burns illness Lyon Richardson Kansas City Royals Luinder Avila Great American Ball Park Terry Francona Elly De La Cruz Bryce Harper