The Reds selected Kent Emanuel from Triple-A Louisville on Monday, putting the 34-year-old left-hander on their major league roster and making him the day’s roster addition in Cincinnati. At the same time, they designated Ron Marinaccio for assignment.
That move came on a doubleheader day, when clubs need more flexibility and an extra arm can matter. Cincinnati also tabbed Zach McCambley as the 27th man for the doubleheader against the Cardinals, but Emanuel was the pitcher moved onto the active roster for the longer haul, at least for now.
Emanuel gives the Reds a left-handed option with some major league time already on his resume. He can now mark 2026 as his third big league season after brief stints with the Astros and Marlins, throwing exactly 17 2/3 innings with Houston in 2021 and the same total with Miami in 2024. His career line in the majors stands at a 4.58 ERA, a 16.7% strikeout rate, a 7.3% walk rate and a 55.5% ground-ball rate.
The choice also reflects how a roster move can be about fit, not just recent stat lines. Emanuel had been pitching with the High Point Rockers of the independent Atlantic League before joining the Reds organization on a minor league deal earlier this month, and he had allowed one run on two hits with eight strikeouts in six innings. That was enough for the Reds to bring him up on a day when they needed a fresh lefty, even if it meant moving on from Marinaccio, who had put together a 3.98 ERA across 183 major league frames.
For Cincinnati, the immediate question is not whether Emanuel has earned another look. It is how long the Reds plan to keep him and whether this is a short-term answer to a doubleheader roster need or the start of a longer stay in the majors.
