In 2025, half of Nick Lodolo\u2019s starts were quality starts. He had two double-digit strikeout games, and one of them was against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He got batters to chase about as often as any pitcher in baseball, and he also had one of the best walk rates in the game. He has one of the best breaking balls in the sport. Heading into 2026, he was offered a spot on Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. <\/p>\n
Lodolo isn\u2019t as big of a name as Hunter Greene or Andrew Abbott, but he probably could be. On Friday, the Reds get Lodolo back from the injured list, and he\u2019ll make his season debut. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to think that I\u2019m a big boost for our rotation,\u201d Lodolo said. \u201cI think every guy would feel that way. I definitely expect myself to take that role and pitch the way I know I can. I don\u2019t want to say (I\u2019ll) take pressure off anybody because every day we\u2019re trying to go out here and win and compete at this level. I want to get myself out there and pick up where I know I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
His return is even more important on a Reds\u2019 pitching staff that has had Brandon Williamson go on the 60-day IL and has Rhett Lowder dealing with shoulder discomfort that cut short his start on Thursday as the Reds lost to the Cubs, 8-3, and got swept at Wrigley Field. <\/p>\n
Lowder said that he has been \u201cgrinding through some stuff\u201d in his shoulder and is set to get an MRI. The results of that will shape the next steps for him. <\/p>\n
On this miserable road trip, the Reds\u2019 pitching staff was just run too thin. The theme of the week was what happens when you don\u2019t get consistent enough pitching. <\/p>\n
The Reds need Lodolo. A lot. <\/p>\n
Since the start of the 2024 season, the only thing that\u2019s prevented Lodolo from leveling up and establishing himself as front of the rotation pitcher has been the lingering blister issue. <\/p>\n
In 2024, after struggling to spin his breaking ball during some tough starts during the summer, he adjusted his grip to prevent the blister from popping back up and went on to suffer a season-ending finger injury. In 2025, Lodolo finished the year with a 3.33 ERA. Among pitchers who made at least 25 starts, Lodolo had the 19th-best ERA in MLB. The only time that he missed was 22 days in August because of the blister. <\/p>\n
Expectations were really high for Lodolo during spring training entering 2026. This could be the year. But then, on the final day of camp, Lodolo left his spring training start early when the blister popped back up on a very hot day. It initially seemed more minor, but a rehab start the following week was cut short for the same reason. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a frustrating process. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to put it behind you,\u201d Lodolo said. \u201cYou can\u2019t be out there thinking about it. It stunk for me. For the team. There was nothing I could do about it. The best thing is to try to find a solution to limit that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He believes that he has found a process to fight the blister that will work as a long-term solution, and Lodolo plans to share more about that story at a later date. <\/p>\n
The Reds need a spark right now after a winless road trip. The pitching staff had some low moments over the last week. Right now, the Reds are getting an All-Star caliber pitcher back. They just need his finger to be OK.<\/p>\n
Lodolo\u2019s left index finger might be the most important finger in the Reds\u2019 organization. His teammates have been checking about it all year. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been able to watch his process and that finger heal,\u201d Chase Burns said. \u201cEvery day, after he throws, we huddle up and ask him about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brady Singer said, \u201cI\u2019ve kept tabs on it, on his journey, looking at it,\u201d Singer said. \u201cIt looks great.\u201d<\/p>\n
His finger is one of the biggest X-Factors for the rest of this Reds\u2019 season.<\/p>\n
If the Reds get a healthy, durable Lodolo, that has a chance to be a season-altering development. <\/p>\n
The rotation so far this year has been an inconsistent Andrew Abbott (who recently looks like he\u2019s turning a corner), an up-and-down Brady Singer, a young but inexperienced phenom in Chase Burns, an injured Williamson and now a banged-up Lowder. <\/p>\n
The Reds need Lodolo to step in as a frontline piece. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor a left-hander that\u2019s 6-foot-5, to be able to spot it wherever he wants, and he\u2019s a really smart pitcher, I can\u2019t wait to see him back out there,\u201d Burns said. <\/p>\n
As irritating as the blister has been, Lodolo still has a chance to make 25 starts this season. The Reds are hoping that he\u2019ll make more starts in the postseason, and he has the type of arm that can overwhelm even the types of lineups that you face in October. <\/p>\n
He has hated the way that his season has started, but there\u2019s plenty of season left.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve just got to deal with it and be as ready as you can,\u201d Lodolo said. \u201cYou expect yourself to go out there and trust your stuff and know what you can do.\u201d<\/p>\n
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