Reds call up 31-year-old rookie for MLB debut

The Cincinnati Reds have fallen to last place in the NL Central standings, and they are looking for ways to reignite the spark in the team. On Sunday, the Reds finished their weekend series against the New York Yankees with a bang, earning a 5-1 win to take the series finale and win the three-game set.

On Sunday night, the Reds showed initiative, calling up a minor-league player to help bolster their bullpen. The catch, however, is that the minor-leaguer is a 31-year-old who is yet to pitch in the big leagues.

As per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Reds are calling up Julian Garcia, a 10th round pick all the way back in 2016. Since then, he’s been plying his trade in the minors, keeping at it until getting a much-anticipated call-up 10 years later.

Garcia is currently in the middle of a strong season in Cincinnati’s minor-league system, as he is currently sporting an ERA of 3.03 across 35.2 innings (21 games, two starts). This is just his second season in the Reds system, having spent the first seven years of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies’ minor-league affiliates.

Garcia was a bit solid for the Phillies in 2019, but he struggled in Double-A and could not recover. By the time 2022 came along, he had an ERA of 8.86, leading to his eventual washout from the organization.

He has since remade himself after stints in the American Association and in Puerto Rico. When the Reds organization picked him up in 2025, he had a pristine 1.13 ERA in 16.0 Double-A innings. He came back with elite stuff, and he’s continued to be an impactful pitcher in the minors, leading to his eventual call-up.

It has been quite the journey for Garcia to reach this point, but now that he’s here, Reds fans have to expect him to give it his all to make the most of this golden MLB opportunity.

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