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Lodolo (finger) will begin the regular season on the injured list, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Lodolo began playing catch Tuesday -- his first time throwing since leaving his start Sunday with a finger blister -- but the Reds have officially concluded that the 28-year-old is better off beginning the season on the IL. The move will give him all the time he needs to recover fully; meanwhile, Brandon Williamson will step in to fill the void in Cincinnati's rotation.
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Reds' Nick Lodolo: Plays catch; IL still possible
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Lodolo (finger) played light catch Tuesday with 15-to-20 throws, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Lodolo -- who is recovering from a blister on his left index finger -- said afterward that things went OK, but the hurler "didn't sound particularly enthused," per Wittenmyer. The lefty is tentatively slated to make his season debut Saturday versus the Red Sox, but it's considered likely that Lodolo will either be pushed back or placed on the injured list. The Reds will make a decision on Lodolo's status soon.
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Reds' Nick Lodolo: Will play catch Tuesday
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Lodolo (finger) is scheduled to play catch Tuesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Lodolo had to exit Sunday's Cactus League outing against the Guardians due to a blister on his left index finger. He's tentatively slated to start Saturday versus the Red Sox, but getting pushed back or placed on the injured list are viewed as likelier scenarios for the southpaw. Lodolo has a history of blister problems, so expect the Reds to proceed cautiously so as not to make the issue worse.
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Reds' Nick Lodolo: Departs with finger blister
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Lodolo was removed from Sunday's Grapefruit League start against the Guardians due to a blister on his left index finger, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
The left-hander allowed two runs on a walk and a two-run homer before exiting the contest without recording an out. It's a concerning development in Lodolo's final outing before the regular season, especially given that he's had blister issues in the past. It's possible that the Reds could be pulling him early as a precautionary measure. Lodolo, who is penciled in to start the second game of the season, March 28 against Boston, should be considered day-to-day for now, with his status likely to be updated in the next day or two.
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Reds' Nick Lodolo: Ramping up
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Lodolo allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits while striking out seven over 4.2 innings in Tuesday's spring start against the Guardians.
Lodolo made his fourth Cactus League start and upped his pitch count to 77 (46 strikes), with one start remaining before the regular season begins. The lefty allowed a home run for the third consecutive outing but was much improved from his previous outing, when the Dodgers touched him for six runs. Lodolo is set to start the Reds' second game of the regular season.
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Reds' Nick Lodolo: Stung by Dodgers
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Lodolo allowed six runs on six hits while striking out three over four innings in Thursday's spring start against the Dodgers. He also hit a batter.
The Dodgers jumped on Lodolo early with four runs on four hits and a hit batsman in the first inning, as he wasn't locating his fastball well, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The left-hander then hung a curveball that Max Muncy drove out of the park for a two-run home run in the third. The good news is that Lodolo got through four innings on 61 pitches in his third Cactus League start. Earlier in the day, Reds manager Terry Francona said Lodolo will open the season as the team's No. 2 starter and will pitch the second game of the regular season against Boston on March 28.
Lodolo allowed one run on six hits and two walks while striking out four over three innings in Saturday's spring start against the Royals.
Lodolo faced adversity from jump street when former teammate Jonathan India led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run. More traffic followed in the next two innings, but the left-hander managed to work out of jams in his second Cactus League outing. Pitchers like to avoid that type of stress when the games count in the standings, but in the spring it can be helpful, and Lodolo worked his pitch count up to 58 (32 strikes).
Lodolo allowed two hits and struck out four over two scoreless innings in Wednesday's spring start against the White Sox.
Lodolo struck out the side in the first inning before working out of a one-out, two-on jam in the second. He threw a total of 40 pitches (30 strikes) in what was a promising Cactus League debut. The left-hander is coming off his best statistical season with a career-high 28 starts and career-low 3.33 ERA in 2025.
Reds' Nick Lodolo: Avoids arbitration with Cincinnati
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Lodolo signed a one-year, $4.725 million contract with the Reds on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
The deal also includes up to $450,000 in incentives, per Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer. Lodolo spent the majority of 2025 in the Reds' rotation before being moved to the bullpen for one late-season appearance, plus Cincinnati's brief playoff run. He ended the regular season with a 9-8 record (over a career-high 28 starts) while posting a 3.33 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 156:31 K:BB across 156.2 innings. Lodolo has seen his ERA and WHIP numbers steadily improve over the past three seasons, and his 4.8 percent walk rate in 2025 ranked fourth among starters with at least 150 innings.
Lodolo will be available out of the bullpen during the National League Wild Card Series against the Dodgers, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
This news comes after the club announced Zack Littell will start Game 2, and Andrew Abbott would be deployed for a Game 3 start if necessary. Lodolo's lone relief appearance took place in the final game of the regular season Sunday against Milwaukee, when he allowed one run on two hits and two walks over one inning.
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Reds' Nick Lodolo: Makes relief appearance Sunday
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Lodolo (groin) surrendered one earned run on two hits and two walks over one inning of relief in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Brewers.
After exiting his start in Thursday's win over the Pirates due to a right groin injury, Lodolo received a clean bill of health following a bullpen session earlier Sunday, then was called upon to pitch in relief in a must-win game. Though the Reds ultimately came up short, they backdoored their way into the playoffs after the Mets lost to the Marlins later Sunday to cede the third and final wild-card spot to Cincinnati. Now that Lodolo has seemingly put the groin issue behind him, he could be in line to make a start during the Reds' three-game wild-card series versus the Dodgers that begins Tuesday.
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