May 8, 2026Updated 12:17 pm EDT

The Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros clash in the first of a three-game series on Friday at Great American Ball Park, at 6:10 p.m. ET. Nick Lodolo (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will start for the Reds, who are 20-18 this season and fifth in the NL Central. Mike Burrows (1-4, 5.97 ERA) is starting for the Astros, who are 15-23 and fifth in the AL West.

How to watch Houston Astros vs. Cincinnati RedsAstros vs. Reds odds

Odds provided by BetMGM.

Injury reportsReds

Eugenio Suárez: 10 Day IL (Oblique), Caleb Ferguson: 15 Day IL (Oblique), Nick Lodolo: 15 Day IL (Finger), Emilio Pagan: 15 Day IL (Hamstring), Hunter Greene: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Brandon Williamson: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Rhett Lowder: day-to-day (Shoulder)

Astros

Joey Loperfido: 10 Day IL (Quadricep), Carlos Correa: 10 Day IL (Ankle), Jake Meyers: 10 Day IL (Oblique), Taylor Trammell: 10 Day IL (Groin), Jeremy Pena: 10 Day IL (Knee), Yainer Diaz: 10 Day IL (Abdominal), Hunter Brown: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Nate Pearson: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Tatsuya Imai: 15 Day IL (Arm), Hayden Wesneski: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ronel Blanco: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Brandon Walter: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Cristian Javier: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Josh Hader: 60 Day IL (Biceps)

Stats to know
Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart has hit 10 home runs this season, which ranks 11th in MLB. He has also tallied 29 RBIs (7th in MLB) and has scored 22 runs. In 165 plate appearances, he has recorded a .245 BA, .333 OBP and .497 SLG with a 12.1% walk rate and an 18.2% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording seven steals on seven attempts.
In 169 plate appearances, Elly De La Cruz is hitting .265/.337/.510 with a .847 OPS and eight steals on 11 attempts. He has hit 10 long balls (11th in MLB), driven in 28 runs (10th in MLB) and scored 27 times.
Yordan Alvarez has hit 12 home runs this season, which ranks 4th in MLB. He has also tallied 27 RBIs (16th in MLB) and has scored 26 runs. In 168 plate appearances, he has recorded a .319 BA, .423 OBP and .638 SLG with a 13.1% walk rate and a 12.5% strikeout rate.
In 155 plate appearances, Christian Walker has slashed .307/.381/.569 this season. He has hit nine long balls (18th in MLB) and driven in 27 runs (16th in MLB) with a strikeout rate of 18.7% and a walk rate of 9.7%. and has scored 24 runs.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

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Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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May 8, 2026

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