Terry Francona has a decision to make after an update on Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo.
The Cincinnati Reds received an encouraging update on left-hander Nick Lodolo, but it comes with a decision that manager Terry Francona will need to sort out sooner rather than later.
Lodolo, who landed on the 15-day injured list with a blister on his left finger issue, is clearly trending in the right direction. A rehab appearance in Daytona this week puts him on track to potentially rejoin the rotation when the Reds travel to Miami to face the Marlins from April 6‑8.
Getting him back this quickly after a brief stint on the injured list is good news for Cincinnati. According to Joe Danneman of FOX19, Francona confirmed that Lodolo will pitch in Daytona this week and hopes to slot him back into the rotation in Miami.
The question now is what Francona does with his rotation once Lodolo is ready to return.
Francona had previously floated the idea of operating with a six‑man rotation, but the early returns from his starters have complicated things in the best possible way. Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns both turned in impressive outings to open the season.
Lowder tossed five innings and allowed two runs against a loaded Boston Red Sox lineup, while Burns was dominant on Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, striking out seven batters over five scoreless innings and allowing one hit to earn the win. Brandon Williamson is set to take the ball on Tuesday against Pittsburgh, so his debut is still to come.
With that kind of early production, moving any of those three out of the rotation would be a difficult call. Francona has been clear that the six‑man rotation was never meant to be a permanent arrangement, but strong performances have a way of changing plans.
Whether he sticks with the six‑man setup longer than originally intended once Lodolo returns is something that will likely be determined week to week based on how everyone continues to perform.
The bigger decision point may come later. Hunter Greene is expected to return from injury around July, and at that point Francona will have no choice but to make a more definitive call. A seven‑man rotation simply is not sustainable at the major league level.
For now, though, Lodolo's imminent return is the headline. This will be his fifth season in Cincinnati, coming off one of the best years of his career in 2025 when he posted a career‑low 3.33 ERA with 156 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings across 29 starts and helped the Reds reach the playoffs. He figures to once again be a driving force in Cincinnati’s push to return to the postseason for a second straight year.