Reds' Reed to make MLB debut Saturday

It's a good week to be a top-100 prospect playing for a National League Central club. First, Jameson Taillon flirted with a no-hitter in his second Major League start with the Pirates. Then, reports came out that the Cubs were promoting catcher Willson Contreras to the Majors. Now, it seems the Reds are about to join in on the prospect-promoting fun.

Cincinnati will call up No. 3 prospect Cody Reed to make his Major League debut on the mound Saturday against the Astros, the organization announced on Twitter on Thursday.

Reed, a second-round pick of the Royals out of Northwest Mississippi Community College in 2013, was dealt to the Reds last July, along with fellow left-handers Brandon Finnegan and John Lamb, in exchange for Johnny Cueto. At the time, Reed was the most interesting prospect in the deal, being in the midst of a breakout 2015 campaign. The 6-foot-5 southpaw was even more impressive after the trade and finished the season 6-2 with a 2.17 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 60 strikeouts and 16 walks in eight starts (49 2/3 innings) at Double-A Pensacola.

The 23-year-old made MLB.com's top-100 prospect list for the first time during the offseason and is now slotted at No. 60, sixth-best among left-handed pitching prospects. Expectations remain high with his strong performance this year at Triple-A Louisville. Reed is 6-3 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 63 strikeouts and 17 walks in 11 starts (64 2/3 innings) with the Bats. His 8.8 K/9 strikeout rate ranks seventh-best in the International League while his 3.7 K/BB ratio is 11th. He allowed only one earned run on three hits and two walks while fanning five in a six-inning start Monday against Syracuse.

Reed has drawn praise for both his fastball and slider, which earned plus grades of 65 and 60 respectively on the 20-80 scale. His changeup is considered to be average but is good enough to keep opposing hitters honest. He's overcome concerns about his command by averaging 2.5 BB/9 over the last two seasons.

A rotation spot should be Reed's for the taking on a club that sits last in the NL Central with a 26-40 record. He'll be the 12th different pitcher to start this season for the Reds, who rank 25th in the Majors with a collective 4.85 starting-pitcher ERA.