Brewers add former Reds’ second-round pick to minor league contract before Phillies series

Ahead of their series against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Milwaukee Brewers signed right-handed pitcher Lyon Richardson to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Nashville on Thursday morning. The move came one day after Milwaukee traded right-handed reliever Jacob Waguespack to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations or a player to be named later.

Richardson, 26, entered professional baseball as the Cincinnati Reds’ second-round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Jensen Beach High School in Florida. After developing as a starting pitcher in Cincinnati’s system, his progression was interrupted by major setbacks, including the canceled 2020 minor league season and Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2022 campaign.

Despite the injury, the Reds added Richardson to their 40-man roster in November 2022 to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. He returned in 2023 and advanced from Low-A through Double-A and Triple-A before making his major league debut on August 6 of that season.

Richardson’s major league results have been inconsistent. Across 56 2/3 innings in the majors, he has posted a 6.67 ERA. He appeared only once for Cincinnati in 2024 but logged 34 appearances during the 2025 season, finishing with a 4.54 ERA. This year, he received two opportunities with the Reds before being designated for assignment on June 2.

After clearing waivers, Richardson was outrighted to Triple-A Louisville. Because it was his second outright assignment, he exercised his right to reject the assignment and elected free agency on June 4.

While command issues have followed him throughout his career, Richardson has shown encouraging indicators in Triple-A. Over the 2025 and 2026 seasons, he compiled a 4.48 ERA across 62 1/3 innings, pairing a 24.7% strikeout rate with a 10.1% walk rate while generating ground balls on nearly half of the balls put in play against him.

Now working primarily as a reliever after beginning his career as a starter, Richardson features a deep arsenal that includes a four-seam fastball and sinker that both average around 96 mph, along with a changeup, curveball and slider. His changeup generated a 27.5% whiff rate last season, though inconsistent location limited its effectiveness.

Richardson will report to Triple-A Nashville, where the Brewers will attempt to refine his command and maximize the potential of a pitcher who still possesses the tools that once made him a highly regarded draft pick.

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