Mahle will be the likely beneficiary of Alex Wood (back) beginning the season on the injured list, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. He was hit hard Monday against the Rockies, however, giving up four runs on seven hits, many of them barreled, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. "It wasn't good. A lot of hard-hit balls and bad pitches," Mahle said. "Nothing was coming out of my hand right."
The Reds won't need a fifth starter until April 6 due to scheduled days off, but Mahle is likely to slide into that role while Wood works his way back to the mound. Mahle's past work in the major leagues hasn't gone particularly well -- he posted a 4.98 ERA across 112 innings in 2018 -- but he has looked capable this spring, posting a 3.60 ERA with 14 strikeouts and two walks in 10 innings of work.