Howard, the Reds' first-round pick in 2014, is pitching in relief at Double-A Chattanooga and has two good outings so far, hitting 97 mph on the radar while commanding his slider, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

Howard signed a minor-league contract with the Reds on Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Howard signed a minor-league contract with the Royals on Tuesday and will be assigned to Triple-A Omaha, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com reports.

The Reds released Howard on Sunday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Howard (undisclosed) threw two innings in his debut with Double-A Chattanooga on Thursday, allowing one run on three hits while striking out one.