Manager Terry Francona will be facing his old team when the Cincinnati Reds take on the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day. Now, Francona has decided who will be on the bump for Cincinnati.
Left-hander Andrew Abbott will be the Reds Opening Day starter, the team announced. It'll be Abbott's first Opening Day start.
The decision was made a bit easier with Hunter Greene battling through an elbow injury. He doesn't have any UCL damage, but he is still set to undergo an MRI. Greene is currently off the mound, making his Opening Day status uncertain. The Reds will hope isn't dealing with a long-term injury, but anything involving the elbow is scary for pitchers.
That's not to say that Abbott doesn't deserve the accolade though. He is coming off of his first All-Star appearance in 2025, pitching to a career-best 2.87 ERA and a career-high 149 strikeouts, compared to a career-low 43 walks. Over his three years with the Reds, Abbott has registered a 3.42 ERA and a 383/139 K/BB ratio.
He will now be leading a rotation Francona has high expectations for. Greene's status may be up in the air, but Cincinnati still has Brady Singler, Nick Lodolo, Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder. Once all healthy, the Reds are looking for their pitching rotation to help lead their playoff charge.
That'll all start with Abbott on Opening Day. His rise through the ranks reached its greatest height yet in 2025. Now he'll have an opportunity to prove his status as one of the best pitchers in the league won't change anytime soon.
