Reds Pitcher Nick Lodolo’s Rehab Takes a Hit

Nick Lodolo, the Reds’ left-handed pitcher, saw his recovery take an unexpected turn on Thursday.

This season, Lodolo had been on the 15-day injured list due to a blister. He made a start for the Single-A Daytona Tortugas but had to stop after just 40 pitches because of pain in his index finger, which was unrelated to his blister issue.

During his outing, he did manage to retire the first eight batters, striking out four in a row. However, he called for a trainer midway through the third at-bat. He was initially supposed to throw between 60 and 65 pitches.

It’s unclear if this new issue will push back his return to the major leagues.

Lodolo has had a history with blister problems throughout his career, with his first injury cropping up at the start of spring training on March 22.

Cincinnati’s captain, Terry Francona, said on Monday that Lodolo was projected to make his season debut against the Marlins in Miami from April 6 to April 9, assuming everything goes smoothly.

Francona noted, “We didn’t want him to go anywhere and throw. So we thought this was the best way to do it.”

Lodolo had just come off what might have been his best MLB season yet, where he pitched a career-high 156 and two-thirds innings with a 3.33 ERA, tallying 156 strikeouts and completing two games.

Complicating matters for the Reds is the absence of their ace, Hunter Greene, who is recovering from surgery. Greene had arthroscopic surgery on March 11 to remove bone chips from his pitching elbow.

After the surgery, Greene shared, “I was dealing with some discomfort for a while… If you feel something in a certain area, especially in your elbow… as a pitcher, you think, ‘Maybe I’m feeling a little bit of inflammation or discomfort.’ But, you know, that’s part of the job.” He also mentioned that the bone spurs had been chronic but didn’t provide a timeline for their formation.

He is hopeful to be back with the Reds by July.