CINCINNATI -- Andrew Abbott delivered exactly what the Reds needed on Saturday: a 6 1/3-inning start with one run allowed in a 2-1 walk-off win over the Cubs at Great American Ball Park. A bounce-back start from the rookie left-hander is great news, as he’s currently one of two players listed in the rotation on Cincinnati’s depth chart.

“Andrew Abbott, probably the biggest start of the year for all kinds of reasons, and he knew that,” Bell said. “There's some pressure to that, and he went out with his best fastball of the year and gave us exactly what we needed.”

On Aug. 22, Nick Lodolo suffered a setback; he's out for the season. On Friday, Hunter Greene and Ben Lively tested positive for COVID-19. On Saturday, Brandon Williamson tested positive, too. Soon after that, Graham Ashcraft was diagnosed with a potentially season-ending stress reaction in his right big toe.

• Games remaining: vs. CHC (1), vs. SEA (3), vs. STL (3), at DET (3), at NYM (3), vs. MIN (3), vs. PIT (3), at CLE (2), at STL (3)
• Standings update: The Reds (71-67) moved into a three-way virtual tie with the Giants (70-66) and the D-backs (70-66) for the third National League Wild Card spot. The Reds have the tiebreaker over the D-backs, while they’ve lost the tiebreaker to the Giants.

As Williamson was supposed to start on Sunday, Greene on Monday and Ashcraft on Wednesday, the Reds entered Saturday’s game with four TBD’s as their probable pitchers between Sunday and Friday, when Greene and Lively are eligible to return from the COVID-19 related IL (assuming they test negative and feel well enough to pitch).

Manager David Bell said prior to the game that “we really need to see how we get through the game tonight before we name any starters.” Because Abbott went so deep into the game, most of their options beyond Saturday night didn’t have to pitch, and remain available.

The next four games are crucial for the Reds, as they wrap the season series with the Cubs before hosting first-place Seattle for a three-game set. Here are four pitchers who could fill those starting roles over the next week:

Carson Spiers
Spiers is the only pitcher confirmed to start in this stretch, as the Reds announced after Saturday’s game that he would take the mound for his MLB debut on Sunday. Spiers was added as a substitute player from Double-A Chattanooga on Friday. With three players on the COVID IL, the Reds were allowed to add a player to the active roster without adding him to the 40-man roster.

The Clemson product joined the Reds as an undrafted free agent following the shortened 2020 Draft. Over the past three seasons, a gain in velocity and more sophisticated pitch design has allowed him to build a Major League-quality pitch mix.

“Once I got [to the Reds organization], we got in the lab and we really broke down pitch shapes,” Spiers said. “I really think that's helped my arsenal grow in many ways.”

Though he started the season in the Lookouts’ bullpen, Spiers has started in each of his past six appearances and eight of his past 10. In nine total starts this year, Spiers is 3-1 with a 3.74 ERA over 43 1/3 innings. His most recent start was this past Sunday, so he’ll be pitching on six days' rest.

Connor Phillips
The Reds’ No. 4 prospect and No. 70 overall per MLB Pipeline, Phillips is certainly the most intriguing member of this group. Like Spiers, he was added as a substitute player on Saturday after Williamson tested positive.

Phillips joined the Reds as a player to be named later in the March 2022 trade that sent Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez to Seattle. Since then, he’s been one of Cincinnati’s most highly anticipated pitching prospects, posting a 3.82 ERA in two seasons with the organization.

His most exciting offering is a fastball that sits in the upper 90s and has touched 99. Phillips started the season in Double-A before he was promoted to Triple-A Louisville in late June, and has struggled a bit at the higher level, where he’s 2-3 with a 4.69 ERA. But in his most recent start on Thursday, Phillips pitched six scoreless innings with six strikeouts.

Lyon Richardson
Richardson is the other starter listed alongside Abbott in the Reds’ depth chart. In Game 2 of Friday’s doubleheader, his third career start, Richardson allowed two runs over 4 2/3 innings in the Reds’ eventual walk-off win.

The right-hander started the season at Single-A Daytona. He was promoted to Double-A in April and Triple-A in July before making his MLB debut in a spot start on Aug. 6. He became the first Major Leaguer in over 50 years to allow a home run on the first two pitches of his career, then allowed two more runs in three innings after that.

Brett Kennedy
Like Richardson, Kennedy has spent time in the Reds’ rotation in parts of this season. Though he’s made two appearances in relief, both multiple innings, his five-inning gem on Aug. 18 stands out on his résumé. He faced a potent Toronto offense and struck out two while allowing no runs on three hits and a walk.

“What's next for me is just going out there whenever they need me to pitch and help[ing] the team win,” Kennedy said after his Aug. 18 start. “Whether it's starting or in the bullpen, that's all I'm trying to do.”