According to MLB.com’s transaction tracker, the Reds have outright assigned right-hander David Buchanan to Triple-A Louisville. This suggests that he passed waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week.
Buchanan, 35, appeared to be the Reds’ emergency option. Graham Ashcraft and Brandon Williamson have been out of the rotation for most of the season due to injuries. Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, and Christian Roa all had injuries in August.
They sent money to the Phillies to get Buchanan at the end of last month. He was available to be traded after the deadline because he wasn’t on a 40-man roster in 2024. He had signed a minor league contract with the Phillies in the winter and had a 4.82 earned run average in 102 2/3 Triple-A innings before to the transaction.
Shortly after acquiring him, the Reds added him to their roster as a multi-inning option for their staff. On August 31, the club used a bullpen game, with Buchanan pitching 3 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run on two hits and two walks while striking out one Brewer. Williamson was reinstated from the 60-day injured list the following day, while Buchanan was designated for assignment to free up places on both the active and 40-man rosters.
Buchanan’s one appearance in the majors was his first since 2015, when he played for the Phillies. He pitched in Japan from 2017 to 2019, then Korea from 2020 to 2023, before returning to North America this year. He now has a 4.97 ERA in 195 2/3 MLB innings, with nearly a decade separating his tenure with the Phillies and the Reds.
This is his first career outright, and he has less than three years of major league experience. Despite Williamson’s return, the Reds’ pitching staff remains rather snake-bitten. Buchanan can provide them with some non-roster depth for the next few weeks and could perhaps be summoned back to the majors if they need reinforcements again.
