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Cincinnati Reds reliever Tony Santillan faces likely hip surgery
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- Cincinnati Reds reliever Tony Santillan faces likely hip surgery
ATLANTA – Cincinnati Reds reliever Tony Santillan, who struggled this season after being a key contributor to the Reds' playoff staff last year , faces possible hip surgery this week with an undetermined timeline.
Santillan, who landed on the injured list because of a left hip labral tear, was in Nashville seeing a hip specialist as the Reds opened a three-game series this week against the Braves in Atlanta.
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"Pretty good chance he has surgery on his hip Thursday," manager Terry Francona said. "It's not a done deal, but pretty good chance."
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tony Santillan (64) throws a pitch in the ninth inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. The Dodgers won, 4-1.
More: TJ Friedl remains in Cincinnati Reds organization, off MLB roster
Santillan, who has struggled much of the season, began experience hip pain early this month in Los Angeles, Francona said. Across his last two appearances, Sept. 14 and 17, he walked four in two innings.
Whether surgery would mean a rehab process that seeps into next season, Francona said it's impossible to know, until they know the extent of the surgery, assuming he has surgery.
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Santillan, who had a 2.44 ERA in 80 games pitched last season, has as 6.42 ERA this year in 44 games with a career-high 11 home runs allowed and the highest walk rate of his career (6.2 per nine innings).
He also missed two months from late June to late August because of an oblique strain .
Francona calls the 6-foot-3, 285-pound Santillan one of the tougher and hardest-working pitchers on the staff.
"It's probably improbable, but his heart is probably bigger than his body," Francona said. "I believe that."
Being the oldest pro baseball team means lots of players have made their way through Cincinnati. Take a look at these guys, who were more famous elsewhere, but wore a Reds uniform.
Hall-of-Famer Christy Mathewsonwon 373 career game - 372 with the New York Giants. His other win came in the only game he pitched for the Reds in 1916.
Don Newcombewas a four-time all-star, a Rookie of the Year and was the 1956 NL MVP and Cy Young award winner with the Dodgers. He pitched in 66 games for the Reds from 1958-1960.
Billy Martinwon four World Series as a player for the New York Yankees before going on to even greater fame as a manager, including a 1977 World Series championship. He spent 1960 in Cincinnati where he hit .246 in 103 games for the Reds.
Roger Craig(37) managed the San Francisco Giants from 1985-92, including a World Series appearance in 1989. He spent 12 seasons as a pitcher in the majors, including 40 games for the Reds in 1965.
Charlie Leibrandtwon 140 games over a 14-year MLB career, including memorable stints with the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves. He got his start in Cincinnati, throwing 82 games for the Reds from 1979-82.
César Cedeñowas a four-time all-star and won five Gold Gloves with the Houston Astros in the 1970s. He played 429 games for the Reds from 1982-85.
Gary Redusplayed 13 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1982-94. He started his career in Cincinnati, where he played from 1982-1985.
Wyoming High School grad Jeff Russellwas a two-time all-star with the Texas Rangers and led the majors in saves in 1989. He began his career with his hometown Reds from 1983-84.
John Dennywas a 13-year MLB veteran who won the 1983 NL Cy Young award with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played the last season of his career with the Reds in 1986, going 11-10.
When he retired, Kent Tekulveheld the major league record for career relief appearances. The Hamilton native pitched his final 37 games as a member of the Reds in 1989.
Jeff Montgomerywas a three-time all-star who saved 304 games in his career with the Kansas City Royals. He came up through the minors (including here with the Nashville Sounds) with the Reds and pitched in 14 games in the majors in 1987.
Jeff Reardonwas a four-time all-star with 357 career saves when he signed with the Reds in 1993. He recorded eight saves in 58 games in his lone season in Cincinnati.
Juan Samuelspent 16 seasons in the majors and was a three-time all-star. He appeared in 103 games for the Reds in 1993 where he hit .230.
Tony Fernándezwas a three-time all-star who won four Gold Gloves with the Toronto Blue Jay in the 1980s. He spent 1994 in Cincinnati where he hit .279 in 104 games.
Hall-of-Famer Jack Morriswon 254 games in his career. He signed with the Reds for spring training in 1995, but retired before appearing in a regular-season game.
Frank Violawon the American League Cy Young in 1988 with the Minnesota Twins, where he found his greatest success - winning 112 games in eight years. He appeared in three games for the Reds in 1995, going 0-1 with a 6.28 ERA.
David Wellswon 239 games in his MLB career and won World Series with the Blue Jays and the Yankees.
Acquired for help with a playoff push in 1995, Wells went 6-5 over his 11 starts with the Reds.
The 1989 NL Rookie of the Year with the Chicago Cubs, Jerome Waltonserved as a backup outfielder and pinch-hitter for the Reds, hitting .309 in 1994 and .290 in 1995.
Vince Colemanled the NL in steals for six consecutive seasons, from 1985-90. He ended up with 752 career stolen bases, including 12 in 33 games for the Reds in 1996.
Hall-of-Famer Lee Smithtotaled 478 saves in his 18-year career. Two of them came with the Reds in 1996, where he made 43 appearances.
Rubén Sierrais a four-time all-star who hit 306 home runs and drove in 1,322 runs over the course of a 20-year career. He appeared in 25 games for the Reds in 1997 where he hit .244 with two homers.
Paul Konerkomade six All-Star teams as a member of the Chicago White Sox and ended his career with 439 homers and 1,412 RBI. He played in 26 games for the Reds in 1998, hitting .219 with three home runs.
Steve Averywas part of the vaunted 1990s Atlanta Braves pitching staff, winning 72 games and making one all-star appearance from 1990-96. He started 19 games for the Reds in 1999, going 6-7.
Juan Guzmánwon a pair of World Series and had a 40-11 record in his first three seasons with the Blue Jays in 1991-93. He boasted a 5-1 career postseason record with a 2.44 ERA. Picked up by the Reds at the 1999 trade deadline, he went 6-3 over 12 starts.
A four-time all-star Dante Bichettehit .316 with 201 home runs and 826 RBI in seven seasons with the Colorado Rockies before signing with the Reds. He hit .295 with 16 home runs and 76 RBI in 135 games in Cincinnati in 2000 before being traded to the Boston Red Sox.
José Guillénhit 214 home runs over his 14-year career. He signed with the Reds in 2002 and had an outstanding 2003, hitting .337 with 23 home runs and 63 RBI in 91 games before being traded to the Oakland A's in the trade that brought Aaron Harang to Cincinnati.
Todd Jonesrecorded 319 saves over a 16-year MLB career. One of those came with the Reds in 2004 where he appeared in 51 games.
Tony Womackled the NL in steals three consecutive seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks from 1997-99. He appeared in nine games for the Reds in 2006, hitting .222
Royce Claytonhad a 17-year MLB career and was an all-star in 1997 with the Cardinals. He spent 50 games in Cincinnati in 2006, hitting .235.
Josh Hamiltonwon an MVP and was a five-time all-star with the Texas Rangers from 2008-12. He began his MLB career with the Reds, hitting .292 with 19 home runs in 2007.
A four-time all-star and an eight-time Gold Glove award winner, Jim Edmondshit 393 home runs over a 17 seasons. He ended his MLB career playing in 13 games for the Reds in 2010.
Dontrelle Williswas the 2003 NL Rookie of the Year and finished second in the 2005 NL Cy Young award voting for the Marlins. The two-time all-star finished his nine-year MLB career with the Reds in 2011. Going 1-6 with a 5.00 ERA over 13 starts.
An all-star in 2017, Yonder Alonsohit 100 home runs in a 10 seasons. He began his career in Cincinnati, appearing in 69 games for the Reds from 2010-11, hitting five homers.
Édgar Renteríawon the 1997 World Series MVP with the Florida Marlins, was a five-time all-star and two-time Gold Glove award winner over a 16-year career. He spent his final season in Cincinnati, hitting .251 in 96 games in 2011.
Shin-Soo Choowas an all-star and collected 1,671 hits over a 16-year MLB career. He spent 2013 in Cincinnati, where he finished 12th in MVP voting when he hit .285 and scored 107 runs.
Matt Harveywas an all-star and finished fourth in NL Cy Young award voting with the New York Mets in 2013. He started 24 games for the Reds in 2018, going 7-7 with a 4.50 ERA.
A three-time all-star and two-time Gold Glove winner with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Kempplayed 20 games for the Reds in 2019.
Kevin Gausmanwas named to two all-star teams and finished in the top-10 in Cy Young voting with the Giants and Blue Jays from 2021-23. He appeared in 15 games for the Reds in 2019, going 0-2 while making one start.
Asdrúbal Cabrerawas a two-time all-star in Cleveland and had a 15-year MLB career. His last stop in the majors was with the Reds, where he went 2-for-26 at the plate in 20 games in 2021.
Tommy Phamis a 13-year MLB veteran. He played in 91 games for the Reds in 2022, hitting .238 with 11 homers.
1
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Being the oldest pro baseball team means lots of players have made their way through Cincinnati. Take a look at these guys, who were more famous elsewhere, but wore a Reds uniform.
1
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Being the oldest pro baseball team means lots of players have made their way through Cincinnati. Take a look at these guys, who were more famous elsewhere, but wore a Reds uniform.
2
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Hall-of-Famer Christy Mathewsonwon 373 career game - 372 with the New York Giants. His other win came in the only game he pitched for the Reds in 1916.
3
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Don Newcombewas a four-time all-star, a Rookie of the Year and was the 1956 NL MVP and Cy Young award winner with the Dodgers. He pitched in 66 games for the Reds from 1958-1960.
4
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Billy Martinwon four World Series as a player for the New York Yankees before going on to even greater fame as a manager, including a 1977 World Series championship. He spent 1960 in Cincinnati where he hit .246 in 103 games for the Reds.
5
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Roger Craig(37) managed the San Francisco Giants from 1985-92, including a World Series appearance in 1989. He spent 12 seasons as a pitcher in the majors, including 40 games for the Reds in 1965.
6
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Charlie Leibrandtwon 140 games over a 14-year MLB career, including memorable stints with the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves. He got his start in Cincinnati, throwing 82 games for the Reds from 1979-82.
7
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
César Cedeñowas a four-time all-star and won five Gold Gloves with the Houston Astros in the 1970s. He played 429 games for the Reds from 1982-85.
8
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Gary Redusplayed 13 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1982-94. He started his career in Cincinnati, where he played from 1982-1985.
9
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Wyoming High School grad Jeff Russellwas a two-time all-star with the Texas Rangers and led the majors in saves in 1989. He began his career with his hometown Reds from 1983-84.
10
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
John Dennywas a 13-year MLB veteran who won the 1983 NL Cy Young award with the Philadelphia Phillies. He played the last season of his career with the Reds in 1986, going 11-10.
11
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
When he retired, Kent Tekulveheld the major league record for career relief appearances. The Hamilton native pitched his final 37 games as a member of the Reds in 1989.
12
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Jeff Montgomerywas a three-time all-star who saved 304 games in his career with the Kansas City Royals. He came up through the minors (including here with the Nashville Sounds) with the Reds and pitched in 14 games in the majors in 1987.
13
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Jeff Reardonwas a four-time all-star with 357 career saves when he signed with the Reds in 1993. He recorded eight saves in 58 games in his lone season in Cincinnati.
14
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Juan Samuelspent 16 seasons in the majors and was a three-time all-star. He appeared in 103 games for the Reds in 1993 where he hit .230.
15
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Tony Fernándezwas a three-time all-star who won four Gold Gloves with the Toronto Blue Jay in the 1980s. He spent 1994 in Cincinnati where he hit .279 in 104 games.
16
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Hall-of-Famer Jack Morriswon 254 games in his career. He signed with the Reds for spring training in 1995, but retired before appearing in a regular-season game.
17
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Frank Violawon the American League Cy Young in 1988 with the Minnesota Twins, where he found his greatest success - winning 112 games in eight years. He appeared in three games for the Reds in 1995, going 0-1 with a 6.28 ERA.
18
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
David Wellswon 239 games in his MLB career and won World Series with the Blue Jays and the Yankees.
Acquired for help with a playoff push in 1995, Wells went 6-5 over his 11 starts with the Reds.
19
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
The 1989 NL Rookie of the Year with the Chicago Cubs, Jerome Waltonserved as a backup outfielder and pinch-hitter for the Reds, hitting .309 in 1994 and .290 in 1995.
20
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Vince Colemanled the NL in steals for six consecutive seasons, from 1985-90. He ended up with 752 career stolen bases, including 12 in 33 games for the Reds in 1996.
21
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Hall-of-Famer Lee Smithtotaled 478 saves in his 18-year career. Two of them came with the Reds in 1996, where he made 43 appearances.
22
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Rubén Sierrais a four-time all-star who hit 306 home runs and drove in 1,322 runs over the course of a 20-year career. He appeared in 25 games for the Reds in 1997 where he hit .244 with two homers.
23
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Paul Konerkomade six All-Star teams as a member of the Chicago White Sox and ended his career with 439 homers and 1,412 RBI. He played in 26 games for the Reds in 1998, hitting .219 with three home runs.
24
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Steve Averywas part of the vaunted 1990s Atlanta Braves pitching staff, winning 72 games and making one all-star appearance from 1990-96. He started 19 games for the Reds in 1999, going 6-7.
25
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Juan Guzmánwon a pair of World Series and had a 40-11 record in his first three seasons with the Blue Jays in 1991-93. He boasted a 5-1 career postseason record with a 2.44 ERA. Picked up by the Reds at the 1999 trade deadline, he went 6-3 over 12 starts.
26
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
A four-time all-star Dante Bichettehit .316 with 201 home runs and 826 RBI in seven seasons with the Colorado Rockies before signing with the Reds. He hit .295 with 16 home runs and 76 RBI in 135 games in Cincinnati in 2000 before being traded to the Boston Red Sox.
27
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
José Guillénhit 214 home runs over his 14-year career. He signed with the Reds in 2002 and had an outstanding 2003, hitting .337 with 23 home runs and 63 RBI in 91 games before being traded to the Oakland A's in the trade that brought Aaron Harang to Cincinnati.
28
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Todd Jonesrecorded 319 saves over a 16-year MLB career. One of those came with the Reds in 2004 where he appeared in 51 games.
29
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Tony Womackled the NL in steals three consecutive seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks from 1997-99. He appeared in nine games for the Reds in 2006, hitting .222
30
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Royce Claytonhad a 17-year MLB career and was an all-star in 1997 with the Cardinals. He spent 50 games in Cincinnati in 2006, hitting .235.
31
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Josh Hamiltonwon an MVP and was a five-time all-star with the Texas Rangers from 2008-12. He began his MLB career with the Reds, hitting .292 with 19 home runs in 2007.
32
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
A four-time all-star and an eight-time Gold Glove award winner, Jim Edmondshit 393 home runs over a 17 seasons. He ended his MLB career playing in 13 games for the Reds in 2010.
33
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Dontrelle Williswas the 2003 NL Rookie of the Year and finished second in the 2005 NL Cy Young award voting for the Marlins. The two-time all-star finished his nine-year MLB career with the Reds in 2011. Going 1-6 with a 5.00 ERA over 13 starts.
34
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
An all-star in 2017, Yonder Alonsohit 100 home runs in a 10 seasons. He began his career in Cincinnati, appearing in 69 games for the Reds from 2010-11, hitting five homers.
35
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Édgar Renteríawon the 1997 World Series MVP with the Florida Marlins, was a five-time all-star and two-time Gold Glove award winner over a 16-year career. He spent his final season in Cincinnati, hitting .251 in 96 games in 2011.
36
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Shin-Soo Choowas an all-star and collected 1,671 hits over a 16-year MLB career. He spent 2013 in Cincinnati, where he finished 12th in MVP voting when he hit .285 and scored 107 runs.
37
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Matt Harveywas an all-star and finished fourth in NL Cy Young award voting with the New York Mets in 2013. He started 24 games for the Reds in 2018, going 7-7 with a 4.50 ERA.
38
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
A three-time all-star and two-time Gold Glove winner with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Kempplayed 20 games for the Reds in 2019.
39
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Kevin Gausmanwas named to two all-star teams and finished in the top-10 in Cy Young voting with the Giants and Blue Jays from 2021-23. He appeared in 15 games for the Reds in 2019, going 0-2 while making one start.
40
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Asdrúbal Cabrerawas a two-time all-star in Cleveland and had a 15-year MLB career. His last stop in the majors was with the Reds, where he went 2-for-26 at the plate in 20 games in 2021.
41
/41
He played for the Reds!? Do you remember these players' time in Cincy?
Tommy Phamis a 13-year MLB veteran. He played in 91 games for the Reds in 2022, hitting .238 with 11 homers.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds reliever Tony Santillan faces likely hip surgery
