The number that defines this game: Pittsburgh has lost 7 straight starts with Skenes on the mound. The offense has been held to 2 runs or fewer in 5 of those 7 outings, totaling just 19 runs of support across the stretch. In his last start, Skenes went 6 innings, allowed 2 earned runs, and struck out 8 against the Rockies at Coors Field — and still took the loss. Pittsburgh is coming off back-to-back wins over Seattle, including an 11-1 dismantling Wednesday, which at least suggests the bats have a pulse heading into Friday.
- Day-To-DayNick Lodolo (SP) — Reds manager Terry Francona said that Lodolo (wrist) "showed up pretty good" when he reported to the ballpark Wednesday, Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati reports.06/24
- Day-To-DayConnor Burns (C) — no05/08
- 10-Day-ILKe'Bryan Hayes (3B) — Hayes (back) has begun hitting at the Reds' training facility in Arizona, MLB.com reports.06/18
- 15-Day-ILEmilio Pagan (RP) — Pagan (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.06/22
- OutCarson Spiers (SP) — The Reds re-signed Spiers (elbow) to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training Monday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILHunter Greene (SP) — Reds manager Terry Francona said Wednesday that Greene (elbow) will make one more rehab start with Triple-A Louisville on Sunday, Charlie Clifford of NBC 5 Cincinnati reports.06/24
- 60-Day-ILBrandon Williamson (SP) — Williamson (shoulder) tossed a bullpen session Saturday, his first since landing on the injured list April 30, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.06/22
- 60-Day-ILGraham Ashcraft (RP) — Ashcraft (elbow) received a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, MLB.com reports.06/03
- Day-To-DayJared Jones (SP) — no06/26
- Day-To-DayAnthony Solometo (SP) — Solometo underwent left shoulder labrum surgery and is expected to be sidelined until at least April 2027, Mark Chiarelli of Baseball America reports.06/09
- Day-To-DayMitch Jebb (LF)
- Day-To-DayOddanier Mosqueda (RP) — Mosqueda will not throw for a couple weeks due to left forearm inflammation, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DayMike Clevinger (RP) — Clevinger is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports.05/08
- Day-To-DaySean Sullivan (SP) — Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Sullivan is battling right elbow soreness, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILSpencer Horwitz (1B) — The Pirates placed Horwitz on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a left hamstring strain.06/25
- 10-Day-ILKonnor Griffin (SS) — Manager Don Kelly announced that Griffin (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Altoona on Tuesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.06/23
- 10-Day-ILOneil Cruz (CF) — Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Cruz (hand) is facing an estimated recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.06/14
- 15-Day-ILWilber Dotel (RP) — Dotel (lat) tossed a bullpen session Saturday, MLB.com reports.06/22
- 60-Day-ILChris Devenski (RP) — Devenski (illness) was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL on Sunday.06/07
Abbott has quietly become one of the more reliable arms Cincinnati has right now. After posting a 7.22 ERA in April, he turned into a different pitcher in May — 1.61 ERA across 5 starts — and has carried it into June. His last outing was a quality win against the Yankees: 5 innings, 1 earned run, 6 strikeouts. He now gets a Pittsburgh lineup that has been historically bad in Skenes starts, which is either the perfect matchup for him or a cruel joke depending on how you feel about this Reds squad in 2026.
Both clubs are trying to figure something out. Pittsburgh is 41-40 — alive in the NL Central but stuck in neutral, with Oneil Cruz out 4-6 weeks and Spencer Horwitz just hitting the IL. Cincinnati is below .500, 2-15 against NL Central opponents, and badly needs to start beating teams it should be competitive against. Friday is a chance for one team to gain a little clarity about what it is.