The Cincinnati Reds needed to shuffle their bullpen on Wednesday prior to the second game of the series against the Colorado Rockies, as right-hander Graham Ashcraft was placed on the bereavement list. They opted to recall right-hander Luis Mey to fill the spot on the roster, as they announced on Twitter.
Ashcraft has been brilliant so far in 2026, his second season as a full-time reliever.
in 15 games, he’s pitched 15.0 IP and allowed just 3 runs (2 earned) for a tidy 1.20 ERA and 2.73 FIP. He’s rightfully earned a high-leverage role alongside Tony Santillan in front of closer Emilio Pagan, and simply replacing him with Mey won’t be a one for one.
Someone’s going to need to slide into a higher-leverage role for a minimum of three games (and a max of seven).
Mey’s 2026 work down at AAA Louisville has hardly been as good. He’s allowed 9 runs (6 earned) in 11.0 IP, though the walk issue he’s dealt with throughout his pro career has been much better so far (14/3 K/BB). He’s hardly been the most effective reliever for the Bats so far this year – veterans Andrew Chafin, Tejay Antone, and even Lyon Richardson have been much better – but Mey is the lone one of that group currently on the 40-man roster to make this move more seamless long-term.
It is notable, though, that Kyle Nicolas was not recalled. He was only optioned on April 25th but could have been brought back early given the nature of Ashcraft’s move to the bereavement list, though he did pitch an inning for the Bats last night. Mey, however, hasn’t pitched since the 25th when he also threw an inning.
