CINCINNATI, April 28, 2026, 18:09 (EDT)
The Cincinnati Reds open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday with Chase Burns on the mound, a first-place record in hand and less margin for comfort than the standings suggest. First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. EDT at Great American Ball Park, with Kyle Freeland returning for Colorado after a shoulder-related injured-list stint.
It matters now because the Rockies are not arriving as a soft spot on the schedule. Colorado swept the New York Mets at Citi Field over the weekend, reached 13 wins before May and, according to MLB.com, did not get to that mark last season until June 12.
The Reds are still the stronger side on paper: 18-10, first in the National League Central. Colorado is 13-16 and fifth in the NL West. But the Rockies’ pitching has looked less like the liability it was a year ago, and Cincinnati is playing without Eugenio Suárez in the middle of the order.
Burns, 23, is the clearest reason Cincinnati can frame this opener as more than a routine home game. MLB.com’s Brent Maguire wrote that Burns has stepped up with Hunter Greene on the injured list, carrying a 2.57 ERA and 30 strikeouts through 28 innings, while leaning heavily on a high-90s fastball and hard slider.
Freeland gives Colorado a counterweight. The Rockies left-hander had a 2.30 ERA before going on the 15-day injured list and said he had “checked all the boxes” during his time out, including live batting practice and bullpen sessions. Mlb
Cincinnati adjusted its lineup for the left-handed Freeland, with Dane Myers leading off and Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart and Spencer Steer stacked behind him. Colorado counters with Edouard Julien, Mickey Moniak and Hunter Goodman at the top, a group that has helped make the club’s early-season improvement less cosmetic.
The Suárez absence is the cleanest risk for Cincinnati. The Reds placed him on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain, retroactive to April 23, after he felt discomfort taking batting practice; manager Terry Francona said the club hoped to re-image him after “five, six days” if symptoms cleared. Mlb
Cincinnati has found cover, at least for now. Francona said that “if somebody gets hot,” a club can get through a short stretch, while Sal Stewart said the Reds have to “pick him up” until Suárez returns. JJ Bleday was recalled from Triple-A Louisville, where MLB.com said he was batting .341 with a 1.121 OPS. Mlb
There is another softer spot: the bullpen. Cincinnati relievers entered Sunday with a major-league-best 2.59 ERA but gave up six runs and three homers in an 8-3 loss to Detroit. Francona said the ballpark “played smaller,” a warning that one crooked inning at Great American Ball Park can undo a good start fast. Mlb
Colorado’s broader change is pitching, not just one hot weekend. MLB.com said the Rockies had a 4.07 ERA through 29 games, their best 29-game pitching stretch since 2021, after finishing last in several core pitching categories over the previous three seasons. Michael Lorenzen called some of the changes “low-hanging fruit,” but the early results have been real enough to change how opponents treat them. Mlb
Markets still lean hard toward Cincinnati. Action Network listed the Reds around -198 on the moneyline — a straight bet on who wins — with Colorado at +166, while ESPN’s game page showed Cincinnati at -207 and a 69.1% matchup projection. That price reflects Burns, home field and the Reds’ April record, but it also leaves little room for another Colorado pitching step forward.
The game is listed for Reds.TV and Rockies.TV, with MLB.TV coverage also noted on ESPN’s game page. For Cincinnati, the opener is a chance to keep pressure on the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central race. For Colorado, it is a test of whether a Mets sweep was a good weekend, or something closer to a signal.
