ATLANTA -- After being involved in a scary crash into the wall on Monday night that resulted in a broken left forearm, rookie left fielder/second baseman Tyler Callihan had successful surgery in Cincinnati on Tuesday prior to the Reds' 2-1 loss in 10 innings to the Braves at Truist Park.
Callihan, 24, actually broke both bones in his forearm. A plate was inserted during the procedure, which was performed by Dr. Michael Wigton.
“By all accounts, everything came out like it was supposed to," manager Terry Francona said.
Callihan, who was playing in just his fourth big league game, was placed on the 10-day injured list and will participate in no baseball activity for 6-8 weeks, Francona was told.
"Which is actually kind of incredible when you think about it," Francona said, relieved that it wasn't longer.
During the third inning of Monday's 4-0 Reds loss to the Braves, Callihan was trying to catch Matt Olson's fly ball near the left-field corner when he crashed into the wall in foul territory. The ball rolled out of his glove and Olson wound up with a two-run inside-the-park home run.
Callihan, who was Cincinnati's third-round selection (No. 85 overall) in the 2019 MLB Draft and is ranked as the club’s No. 29 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has had a pro career dotted by multiple serious injuries. In 2021 with Single-A Daytona, he was limited to 23 games because of a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow sustained while making a diving play. That injury required Tommy John surgery. He also missed two months of last season with a bruise to his left index finger and later another one to his right wrist.
There were multiple Reds transactions made on Tuesday, including No. 2 prospect and starting pitcher Rhett Lowder being sent on a rehab assignment.
Lowder (No. 30 prospect overall by MLB Pipeline) was scheduled to pitch for Cincinnati's Arizona Complex League club on Tuesday vs. the Dodgers' ACL team. The right-hander has been working his way back from an elbow strain since before Spring Training started.
If all goes well on Tuesday, Lowder's next rehab start will be for High-A Dayton. In six starts last season after his big league debut, Lowder was 2-2 with a 1.17 ERA for the Reds.
The Reds also optioned reliever Yosver Zulueta to Triple-A Louisville.
Outfielder Jacob Hurtubise and right-handed reliever Lyon Richardson were recalled from Louisville to replace Zulueta and Callihan on the 26-man roster.