Rhett Lowder shows another sneak peek at 2025 Cincinnati Reds rotation; Nick Martinez, too?

ST. LOUIS – If the last two games in two different cities say anything about next year’s Cincinnati Reds starting rotation, then they might be able to start assembling their 2025 playoff hopes .

Half of that equation involves a very big if.

The other half was yet another sneak peek at what Rhett Lowder might be able to do alongside the likes of Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott and Nick Lodolo in next year’s rotation.

The rookie right-hander pitched another five scoreless innings Tuesday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, again displaying uncommon poise for a rookie (despite a sometimes challenging strike zone) as he ran his scoreless streak to 11 1/3 straight innings and earned his first big-league win in the process.

"It's pretty cool," he said. "Every single week I feel like I'm taking something else and checking it off the list. it's awesome. I'm just glad we got out of there with a win."

His 3-0 victory over the Cards was the Reds’ third straight against three different teams in three days.

In three big-league starts – against two division leaders (Brewers, Astros) and a third playoff hopeful – Lowder has allowed just one run in 15 1/3 innings (0.57 ERA).

“The time for this team is now,” veteran right-hander Nick Martinez said. “Having experience that now from the inside, the pieces are here to do some damage.

“This year didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, but I wouldn’t say it was such a major step back that we have to start questioning everybody.”

Maybe just question Martinez.

Like what happens with that opt-out clause of his? Or more like: What happens after he opts out of his $12 million player option for next season?

Will the Reds counter with a qualifying offer (estimated to be just over $21 million this winter) in an effort to keep him one more year? Would he turn that down and try to secure as many years as possible, as a 34-year-old free agent coming off arguably his best big-league season?

It’s all started looking a lot more pertinent to these Reds these days as they look ahead at building a competitive 2025 staff and Martinez continues to look stronger with every start during this full-time run in the rotation to finish the season.

“I haven’t looked into the offseason and what I’m going to do,” he said. “I know I have the opt-out. It’s only a few weeks away technically, but I’m really just taking it one start at a time. Whatever the case (becomes), I just want to win.”

He seemed open, if not amenable, to the idea of returning to the Reds next year, if he gets the choice and the terms work.

“That’d be a possibility,” he said.

After his seven-inning throttling of the Braves in Monday’s 1-0 makeup-game victory, Martinez is 8-6 with a 3.46 ERA this season as the Reds most important, if not best, pitcher this season (don’t @ me, Hunter).

That includes a 1.86 ERA in 26 relief appearances. He has a 4.70 ERA in 13 mostly sporadically needed starts this season — but 3-1 with a 3.12 ERA in the eight starts since joining the rotation for this extended stretch Aug. 5 because of injuries.

Manager David Bell has raved about the value of Martinez all season and likes the idea of a fit with him going forward if it can be done, regardless of role.

“Yeah, just have him pitch as many innings as possible,” Bell said. “Whatever he can give us we want him on the mound. He’s a really good pitcher. He’s a winning pitcher. And he’s a winning teammate.”

Aside from his baseball value on the mound, the value of Martinez could go a long way toward stabilizing what’s still a young rotation next season.

The Reds experienced that this year with the influences of last winter’s veteran free agents, Frankie Montas and Martinez, on some of the breakout seasons young pitchers had this year.

Echoing the sentiments over the weekend of young veteran Jonathan India, Martinez sees that kind of influence becoming just as important to any success the Reds expect to have next season.

“This team has their young core in the key positions,” he said. “We’re just getting a glimpse of Elly (De La Cruz), right? What he can really do. And his experience and his maturity is only going to make him better.

“You have your starting catcher (Tyler Stephenson) that’s homegrown and really taken charge of the rotation and the pitching staff. You have your ace (Greene) and the 2-3 behind him (Lodolo, Abbott) that are homegrown and established big leaguers.

“Now you just need a veteran or two to kind of round it out.”

Cincinnati Reds notes

Lowder's scoreless outing extended the Reds starting pitching streak to 22 2/3 scoreless innings, across five games against three different teams. The last time a Reds starter gave up a run was the first inning Friday, when opener Fernando Cruz surrendered two in New York to the Mets ... De La Cruz stole two bases on back-to-back pitches in the first inning Tuesday. He was thrown out at second on another attempt in the third. How significant was that? De La Cruz had only three stolen bases, in six attempts, in his previous 30 games. "He had great at-bats tonight to create the opportunities," Bell said. "He can make things happen, but it starts with the at-bats." ... After loading the bases with nobody out in the ninth, Emilio Pagan struck out the next three to earn his first career save Tuesday. "I love having a chance to be the guy that closes games in a winning scenario," said Pagan, who missed a three-inning save on the last homestand by the margin of one out, "and so to get that opportunity tonight was a blast." ... Lowder, who walked eight in his first two starts, didn't walk a batter Tuesday. But still worked around traffic in four of the five innings, allowing five hits, including a single and double in the first. "I kind of lean on my ability to get the ball on the ground," said Lowder, a sinker baller who got a double play in the first inning. "With a guy on first base I never panic too much, because I know I have a double play there, so I try to lean into that."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Rhett Lowder shows another sneak peek at 2025 Cincinnati Reds rotation; Nick Martinez, too?