Levi Stoudt to make Major League debut for Reds on Wednesday

Mark Sheldon

CINCINNATI -- Players at Triple-A Louisville, take note: be sure to store Bats manager Pat Kelly's number onto your phone. Right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt didn't answer the call that was trying to tell him some of the best news he could imagine.

The Reds called Stoudt up to their taxi squad on Tuesday, and he is scheduled to start on Wednesday vs. the Rays in his Major League debut.

"I was supposed to start [Tuesday] for Louisville," Stoudt said. "I was just about to go to bed and I got a phone call from Pat Kelly, our manager. I actually let it ring because I didn't have his number saved. I had to call him. He said, ‘I’ve got some good news. You’re going to The Show.’"

Stoudt, 25, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Cincinnati's No. 14 prospect. He was one of the four prospects the Reds acquired from the Mariners in the trade last July for rotation ace Luis Castillo.

In three starts for Louisville, Stoudt was 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA, a 1.55 WHIP, nine walks and 10 strikeouts in 11 innings. He lasted only 2 2/3 innings with four earned runs and five hits at Toledo on Wednesday.

The Reds like Stoudt, but there were also other motivations for his callup. Slotting in a sixth starter to the rotation for one turn allows manager David Bell to move Hunter Greene back an extra day. Greene suffered a tibia contusion in his right leg on a third-inning comebacker during Monday's 8-1 win over the Rays.

"He does know it's a spot start," Bell said. "Great accomplishment for Levi. He's been pitching well. He's a big part of our plans moving forward. Even though tomorrow is a spot start, it's going to be a great experience for him. The idea is for him to go back to Triple-A, and then the next time he comes here, hopefully he's here to stay."

Luke Weaver, who was originally going to be activated from the injured list to start Wednesday, will now start Thursday at Pittsburgh.

Getting the call from Kelly late Monday night was a shock for Stoudt, who plans to have his girlfriend and parents among the several friends and family expected to attend Wednesday's debut.

"You think about the phone call and what it's going to be like your whole life," he said. "When it happens, it's kind of like, ‘OK, this is it. It's happening.’ I was just ecstatic, blessed. I’m happy to be here."

Bell spent time in Spring Training getting to know Stoudt.

"We got to have a lot of conversations. We really like who Levi is and what he's made of," Bell said. "He's quiet, but he's very tough. He's very determined. He knows what he needs to do to be successful. I think he has a great presence and a great personality to be a really successful Major League pitcher, and also the personality to do it consistently for a long time. He's pretty calm and steady, but he is intense too.

"I really liked my time with him. Everything else, as far as his arm and stuff, is going to play at the Major League level. Tomorrow is step one of, hopefully, a very long Reds career."

During his time in big league camp, Stoudt gravitated towards the Reds' heralded young trio: Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft.

"They’re young and I’m young. I’m going to be in a similar position as I’m in right now." Stoudt said. "Just trying to learn from them. For the most part, I’ve been figuring out what I have to do to be successful and just try to go after it day by day, repeating the same things. I think good things will come."