Reds Beat: ‘Just a Mature Decision’ Chase Burns Shows He’s Thinking About The Future In Passing Up All Star Game

CINCINNATI — Chase Burns isn’t taking any chances.

The 23-year-old flame-throwing right-hander selected to his first All-Star Game will not be competing in the Midsummer Classic because he tweaked his groin last Wednesday against the Phillies.

In a lost season – or at the very least on the verge of one – Burns doesn’t want to add another statistic to the laundry list of things that have gone disastrously wrong for the 2026 Reds. It doesn’t mean he’s going to miss a start but Burns doesn’t want to step on the mound in Philadelphia Tuesday with the adrenaline pumping and really injure the groin to the point where he misses significant time.

“It was a tough decision,” Burns said over the weekend. “Then again, I’m very thankful to be selected, but kind of had a tough play at the plate against the Phillies, and growing kind of got tight. So, I think it’s just a mature decision to prioritize the second half of the season, and not you know mess it up anymore.”

Burns is in the midst of a historic season in the history of Reds pitchers. The former first-round pick is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA, with 118 strikeouts and a microscopic 1.11 WHIP in 102 2/3 innings this season. He is firmly in the conversation as a Cy Young candidate. Burns could not be blamed by wanting to go out on the sport’s biggest summer stage and show the world how overpowering he can be.

Burns is in some rarified air among the greatest first half pitching performances in Reds history:

Tom Seaver (1981): During the strike-shortened 1981 campaign, Seaver went an incredible 14-2 with a 2.54 ERA in the first half, leading the majors in wins and finishing as the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award.

Jack Armstrong (1990): A catalyst for the wire-to-wire World Series championship season, Armstrong went 11-3 with a 2.28 ERA in the first half and was selected to start the All-Star Game for the National League.

Bucky Walters (1939): Before claiming the NL MVP award, Walters put together a historic first half on his way to winning the Pitching Triple Crown, ultimately finishing the year with 27 wins and a 2.29 ERA

But Burns also wants to head into the second half healthy and make a run at bigger and brighter things. And he let manager Terry Francona know this as well.

“Yeah, it sucks,” lamented Burns. “It was me that went to Tito first and kind of talked to him about it, and it was a tough decision. But then again, yeah, I think it was the right one.

“I just know myself. I know I’m going to be pumped up. I know you know crowd like that, and I’m going to be trying to throw you know 120. So, I think it’s just smart for me not to you know get it tight again and work on my recovery and you know focus on the second half of the season.”

Burns is confident he’ll make his first start next Tuesday in Seattle against the Mariners and shouldn’t miss any starts. The Reds pushed him back to the last start out of the break initially to give him a chance to pitch in Philadelphia Tuesday.

“I think it would be totally fine,” Burns said of starting against Seattle in a week. “Then again, I think that recovery is the biggest biggest part, but I’m not worried about it. I’ve never really had a lower body, lower body injury before, so it’s kind of frustrating. But then again, you know, it’s baseball; it happens.”

Burns will be in Philadelphia, soaking it all in as a player selected but not playing.

“I’m very thankful to be you know part of an All Star game. So I’m gonna just take it all in,” Burns said. “It’s tough when I see guys out there throwing, but then again, it’s that hard decision I have to make, but I’m very excited for it.”