Tom Groeschen

tgroeschen@enquirer.com

Brandon Finnegan, at age 23, is a relative graybeard in the Reds' 2017 pitching rotation.

The left-handed Finnegan will get the start Wednesday (7:10 p.m.) in the second game of the season-opening Reds-Phillies series at Great American Ball Park. Finnegan will try to get the Reds their first win after a 4-3 Opening Day loss Monday.

Finnegan enters just his second full season in the majors, after going 10-11 with a 3.98 ERA in 31 starts last year. With 34-year-old Scott Feldman having started the opener, Finnegan will be followed by rookies Rookie Davis (Thursday vs. the Phillies) and Amir Garrett (Friday at St. Louis). Davis is 23 years old and Garrett is 24, with both yet to throw a major league pitch.

“We’ve got Scott in the rotation too, so he’s been around for a long time,” Finnegan said. “If I need anything, I go to him and he helps me out. It’s just nice to say I’ve been here for a little bit.”

The bearded Finnegan smiled when asked about his “elder statesman” status.

“It was definitely nice coming into spring training knowing I just needed to get ready for the season, instead of winning a job,” Finnegan said. “But you know, every day I have something new to learn.”

The teachers have included 40-year-old right-hander Bronson Arroyo, who soon should officially be on board. The Reds have listed Saturday’s starter as TBA, but it is expected to be Arroyo, who is returning from arm troubles. Arroyo was a Reds rotation anchor from 2006-13, winning 105 games.

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With veteran right-handers Homer Bailey and Anthony DeSclafani disabled with elbow ailments, Finnegan could emerge as the Reds’ No. 1 starter in the early going. “Could” is the key word.

“Brandon isn’t established in this league yet,” Reds pitching coach Mack Jenkins said. “He needs to go out and do the things he did for the last two or three months of the season last year.”

Finnegan had a 2.93 ERA after the All-Star break last year, after posting a 4.71 mark beforehand. Finnegan also averaged 9.17 strikeouts per nine innings in the second half, the seventh-best ratio among qualifying National League pitchers.

“He goes as his command goes,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “He has room to improve the command, the pitch quality of his three pitches. When they all show up – the fastball, slider and change-up – he can be extremely effective both as a combination of a ground ball pitcher and a strikeout pitcher.”

Finnegan was not exactly Clayton Kershaw in spring training 2017, posting a 7.63 ERA in 15 ⅓ innings. Finnegan also allowed three homers, walked nine and struck out 13. The Reds could not care less about those numbers.

“He got his work in,” Jenkins said. “He didn’t pitch extremely well, but he kind of, you know, got the kinks out. He got his pitch-count up. He’s ready to go.”

Price agreed.

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“Where he gets in trouble is where his pitch count goes up early in the game, and he gets a little erratic with the overall command,” Price said. “He will continue to work on his delivery and the quality of his pitches, because he competes like crazy. He’s as good a competitor as we have on the staff.”

Finnegan said he can feel his command sharpening.

“My pitches have been working pretty well,” he said. “I just have to keep working and make sure I don’t lose that feel for them, that touch.”

For a youngster, Finnegan already has walked in tall cotton. The Fort Worth, Texas, native was the Kansas City Royals’ top pick in the June 2014 draft, chosen 17th overall. That year, the Texas Christian University product became the first player to appear in the NCAA College World Series and the Major League Baseball World Series in the same year.

Finnegan was traded from the Royals to the Reds in the Johnny Cueto deal on July 26, 2015, when Cincinnati also obtained left-handers John Lamb and Cody Reed. Reed should pop into the Reds' rotation before long.

For now, Arroyo will be a huge clubhouse presence when he does return. Regardless, Finnegan will continue in his unique role as both student and mentor in the Reds' rotation. Finnegan will turn 24 on April 14.

“It’s something I want to be down the road, too, a guy that’s been around for a while,” Finnegan said. “It’s definitely weird being, I guess one of the older guys. But I’m real close with all the guys we have on our staff, with Rookie and Amir and Cody and Rob (Stephenson). If they have anything, they know to come to me or Scott. The staff we have is special.”

Brandon Finnegan file

Age: 23

Born: April 14, 1993 (Fort Worth, Texas)

College: TCU

Bats: Left; Throws: Left

MLB Service: 1.107 years

MLB Career Pitching

2014-15: Kansas City 3-1, 2.59 ERA (21 games)

2015-16: Cincinnati 12-13, 4.00 ERA (37 games)

TOTALS: 15-14, 3.81 ERA (58 games)

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