Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo's stint on the injured list will be longer than expected.
The Cincinnati Reds received another disappointing update regarding Nick Lodolo, as his path back to the starting rotation has hit another setback.
Lodolo opened the season on the 15‑day injured list due to a blister issue on his left index finger, and the expectation was that his first rehab outing would put him on track to rejoin the big‑league rotation shortly after.
Instead, that plan has now been delayed after he left his minor-league rehab appearance early. “Lodolo left today’s rehab game with a blister on left index finger,” reported Charlie Goldsmith of FOX19.
The outing marked Lodolo’s first rehab start at the Single‑A level, and if everything had gone smoothly, he likely would have been in line to return to Cincinnati’s rotation during his next turn.
However, the same issue that sidelined him to begin the year resurfaced, forcing an early exit and raising concerns about how quickly he can move forward. Lodolo addressed the setback following the outing on Friday and did not hide his frustration.
“It’s frustrating. I thought it was in the clear. The 40th pitch, I came back up. We’ll get a plan put together. I’ve tried (pitching through it). It doesn’t go well in multiple ways. I’ll start playing catch hopefully in the next day or two. The main goal is I’ve got to get back to where I can even compete at this level. We’ll take it day by day and hopefully get back to that,” Lodolo said.
The timing of this setback makes it even more difficult for the Reds. The team is already without ace Hunter Greene, who recently underwent right elbow surgery. Without both Greene and Lodolo, Cincinnati’s starting rotation is missing two of its most important arms.
Lodolo’s absence is particularly significant given how strong he was in 2025. The 28‑year‑old left‑hander put together the best season of his career, making a career‑high 28 starts while posting a 3.33 ERA. His consistency and ability to stay on the field played a major role in helping the Reds reach the postseason.
Earlier in his career, durability had been a concern, which made last season’s performance even more encouraging. Selected in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, Lodolo has long been viewed as a key piece of Cincinnati’s rotation when healthy.
For now, the focus will be on managing the blister and preventing further setbacks. Lodolo indicated he plans to continue throwing soon, but the issue remains tricky, especially since his slider, one of his most effective pitches, contributes to the problem.
Until he can fully move past it, the Reds will be forced to wait a little longer for one of their most important pitchers to return.