Emilio Pagan out 4-8 weeks with Grade 2 hamstring strain

TL;DR

Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pagan is sidelined for 4-8 weeks due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He was placed on the 15-day IL following the injury, but his recovery timeline offers hope for a return before the All-Star break.

Key points

Emilio Pagan diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain
Expected recovery time is 4-8 weeks
Placed on the 15-day IL by the Cincinnati Reds
Potential return before the All-Star break
Tejay Antone recalled to assist bullpen

Emilio PaganCincinnati RedsColorado RockiesTejay Antone

CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 30: Emilio Pagán #15 of the Cincinnati Reds throws during a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies at Great American Ball Park on April 30, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s never *good* news to find out that your team’s closer is going to be sidelined with a serious hamstring injury, and it’s definitely no fun to hear that he may be out for most of two months. However, given how bad last night’s injury looked for Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pagan, that’s actually a lot better than I think most all of us expected to hear. It’s better than Pagan himself expected, too, as he was convinced his season was done. The diagnosis is a Grade 2 strain, and he’ll be out for 4-8 weeks, per The Enquirer’s Gordon Wittenmyer. The Reds placed Pagan on the 15-day IL earlier on Wednesday as part of a larger roster shuffle. If it’s the short-end of the timeline, we could see Pagan back with the Reds around the first week of June. Even if it’s on the longer side of the estimate, that would put him back with the club for the final week or two before the All Star break in July. In other words, despite the ugly way it looked last night, we may even see him in a Reds uniform before we see the return of . That’s excellent news to *with* Pagan around. In the meantime, the club recalled to help backfill the bullpen, activated off the bereavement list, and is anticipating the return of lefty in roughly a week after he’s already looked good in a pair of rehab assignments with AA Chattanooga. Get well soon, Emilio.

Q&A

How long will Emilio Pagan be out with his hamstring injury?

Emilio Pagan is expected to be out for 4-8 weeks due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

When could Emilio Pagan potentially return to the Reds?

If he recovers on the shorter end of the timeline, Pagan could return around the first week of June.

Who is replacing Emilio Pagan in the Reds' bullpen?

Tejay Antone has been recalled to help backfill the bullpen in Pagan's absence.