Tejay Antone is a 32-year-old reliever who has less than 100 major league innings, yet he may be a stable piece of the Cincinnati Reds’ bullpen in 2026.
Tejay Antone Could Play Key Role in Reds Bullpen This Season
Antone’s 2020 Rookie Season
In 2020, Antone made his long-awaited MLB debut after getting drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 draft by the Reds. In that season, he made 13 appearances (four starts), totaling 35 1/3 innings.
He was absolutely lights out as he had a 2.80 ERA, 3.64 FIP, and 176 ERA+. Antone’s performance played a key part in the team reaching the postseason, albeit during the COVID-shortened 60-game season, where 16 out of 30 teams made it to the postseason.
The underlying numbers were in full support of this standout season as well:
2.92 xERA – (89th percentile)
.167 xBA – (97th percentile)
95.7 MPH Avg Fastball Velocity – (86th percentile)
28.5 Chase% – (58th percentile)
34.2 Whiff% – (87th percentile)
31.9 K% – (86th percentile)
32.1 Hard-Hit% – (80th percentile)
48.7 GB% – (70th percentile)
All in all, Antone truly showed that he could be a viable reliever, capable of going multiple innings, and even potentially a solid back-end starter.
Never forget how fun and dominant 2020-2021 Tejay Antone was. He and Lucas Sims carried the 2021 #Reds bullpen. pic.twitter.com/wkbpabou6A
— OnBaseMachine (@RedsFan_Brandon) February 22, 2026
Sophomore Season
With the league back in the groove of a traditional 162-game season in 2021, Antone was back trying to replicate his 2020 success. Unfortunately, a pair of forearm injuries in June and an elbow injury in August limited him to just 33 2/3 innings (23 appearances).
However, despite the small sample size, once again, Antone was electric, posting a 2.14 ERA with a 3.26 FIP and 220 ERA+. Antone was flat-out dominant in the short stretches that he pitched in, and once again, his underlying numbers backed it up:
He didn’t qualify for league rankings due to his limited numbers, but all of the metrics below were considered well above league average.
3.35 xERA
.190 xBA
96.8 MPH Avg Fastball Velocity – (93rd percentile)
87.7 Avg Exit Velocity
33.5 Whiff%
33.1 K%
47.1 GB%
Antone was once again able to keep hitters off balance and generate whiffs as well as ground balls, an elite combo for any Cincinnati pitcher pitching in the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park.
The elbow injury in August ended his season prematurely. It eventually resulted in a Tommy John procedure, already the second of his career at the time. His first Tommy John surgery came in 2017 when he was still in the minor leagues.
With such a big injury, Antone missed the entirety of the 2023 season, not recording a single appearance in the big leagues.
2023 and 2024 Return
In 2023, Antone was back in action as he made five appearances for the Reds. In four relief appearances and one start, Antone logged a total of 5 2/3 innings with a 1.59 ERA.
As for 2024, it was more of the same as he made just four appearances for the Reds, tossing two innings with a 4.50 ERA.
Antone then suffered yet another setback in April of that year, as he tore his right flexor bass tendon completely off the bone, and also partially tore his UCL again. He received his third Tommy John surgery, and contemplated retirement.
Antone’s Recovery and 2026 Return
After receiving this third major injury, Antone contemplated retirement. Entering his 30s, he had dealt with an immense amount of injuries and barely accrued any playing time as a result.
However, Antone made a full return, making 15 appearances in the minor leagues in 2025. He then re-signed with the Reds on a minor league contract for the 2026 season. He has been invited to spring training as a non-roster invitee and will aim to bring his still-effective stuff, as well as experience, to the Reds bullpen.
Main Photo Credit: © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
