Nevada Professional Athletes

The Friedl Chapter in Cincinnati May Be Over

The Cincinnati Reds made a quiet but significant roster move Sunday, designating outfielder TJ Friedl for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Carson Spiers, called up from Triple-A Louisville to cover for injured starter Chase Burns (right groin strain). For the Nevada alum, the move stings — not just because of its timing near the end of a lost 2026 season, but because of what it signals about his standing with the organization.

Friedl, who earned genuine affection in Cincinnati over his tenure, now faces the waiver wire. If he clears, the Reds could outrightly assign him to the minors. His contract situation may also give him the option to elect free agency — a decision that would formally close the book on his time in a Reds uniform. Either way, the path back to a major-league role in Cincinnati looks narrow.

The question of what comes next isn't just personal — it reframes the Reds' outfield picture entirely. With Friedl gone, Cincinnati's in-house options for 2027 are thin, and none of the alternatives currently on the roster project as obvious everyday answers. That's a front-office problem that extends well beyond one DFA.

For a Wolf Pack alum who worked his way into a legitimate MLB role, the designation is a reminder of how quickly roster calculus can shift — even for fan favorites.

Romero Deals in Milwaukee

On a more encouraging note for Nevada's alumni watch, left-hander JoJo Romero has been a reliable late-inning arm for the Brewers down the stretch. The reliever appeared three times during the Sept. 20–26 window, and each outing reinforced why Milwaukee has leaned on him in high-leverage situations.

Romero opened the week Sunday, Sept. 20 against Baltimore, working 1.2 innings and striking out one. He followed that with a strong showing Thursday, Sept. 24 against Philadelphia — 1.1 innings, one strikeout in a 5-1 Milwaukee win. Then on Saturday, Sept. 26, with the Brewers edging St. Louis 3-2, Romero delivered his sharpest outing of the stretch: 1.2 innings and three punchouts.

His ERA ticked down across the three appearances — from 3.54 to 3.46 to 3.36 — a small but telling trajectory for a pitcher finishing the season with momentum. Romero has carved out a durable bullpen role, and his closing stretch makes a compelling case for a return engagement in 2027.

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It was a week of contrasts for Nevada's MLB alumni. Friedl's DFA clouds his immediate future and raises real questions about where he lands next — whether that's another organization via waivers or a free-agent market that will determine his value independently of Cincinnati's plans. Romero, meanwhile, is rounding into form at exactly the right time, giving the Wolf Pack fan base at least one reason to feel good about the final week of a long season.

JoJo Romero has become one of the quieter success stories of Milwaukee's stretch run, and the Wolf Pack alumni base has every reason to pay attention.

The left-handed reliever, acquired by the Brewers in a mid-season trade, was promoted as part of Milwaukee's September roster expansion alongside fellow trade acquisition Bo Naylor — a move that signals the organization's confidence in both players heading into a potential playoff push. Through three appearances between September 1 and September 5, Romero has been a steady presence in a bullpen that can't afford leaks.

His line over the week: 2.2 innings across three outings, with his ERA climbing only slightly — from 3.22 after a September 2 strikeout appearance against the Cubs to 3.35 following a one-run frame against Cincinnati on September 5. That's not a collapse; that's a reliever who absorbed contact and moved on. For a team expanding its roster with purpose, Romero looks like a piece Milwaukee's front office was right to prioritize.

The Rest of the Wolf Pack

TJ Friedl was on the other side of the Romero matchup Saturday, as the Reds center fielder faced his fellow Nevada alum in Milwaukee. It hasn't been Friedl's week — or his month. The Cincinnati outfielder is hitting just .165, a number that hasn't budged across his appearances from August 30 through September 5. Friedl drew a walk on September 1, but the bat has been largely absent. For a player who has flashed tools at the big league level, this stretch is one to watch — and reverse.

Kade Morris had a week to forget in Oakland. The Athletics right-hander logged 2.2 innings against the Mariners on September 5 and surrendered five earned runs, inflating his ERA to 10.90 on the season. His August 30 outing against Baltimore was more encouraging — two innings, two strikeouts, one earned run — but the results have been inconsistent. At 9.82 before Saturday's outing, Morris is in a battle to prove he belongs in a big league rotation or bullpen.

The Bigger Picture

Nevada doesn't produce MLB talent at the volume of a traditional powerhouse, which makes the current moment worth appreciating: three Wolf Pack alumni logged appearances in the same MLB week, with one of them quietly earning trust in a playoff race. Romero's role in Milwaukee is the headliner, but the full picture — Friedl grinding through a tough stretch in Cincinnati, Morris fighting for footing in Oakland — is a reminder that the path from Reno to the majors is real, and rarely smooth.

For Brewers fans with Nevada ties, September just got a little more interesting.