The baseball gods were not kind to former Clemson Tiger closer Carson Spiers in 2025. After starting the year as a dependable arm for Cincinnati, posting a 5.69 ERA over 117 career innings and showing a "rubber arm" capability, a shoulder impingement in April spiraled into an elbow injury during rehab.
The result was a devastating Tommy John surgery announcement in July 2025. Despite being designated for assignment to clear 40-man roster space, the Reds signaled their long-term belief in Spiers by re-signing him to a minor-league deal this past November, ensuring he remains in their system for his recovery.
2026 Season Preview: The 2026 season will be one of grit and rehabilitation for Spiers. He is expected to miss the majority—if not the entirety—of the 2026 campaign as he works back from reconstructive surgery.
However, the Reds have high hopes for a late-season "rehab assignment" in the Arizona Complex League. When healthy, Spiers provides elite organizational depth and a strikeout-to-walk ratio that teams value in a swingman. For now, 2026 is about the long game: rebuilding his arm strength to be a factor in Cincinnati's 2027 plans.