The Reds announced that left-hander Nick Lodolo has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 24, due to a left middle finger sprain. Right-hander Casey Legumina was recalled in a corresponding move.
To this point, the Reds haven’t provided any information about how long Lodolo is expected to be out, but it’s a frustrating development nonetheless. This will be the lefty’s fourth IL stint of the season, as he has already made separate trips there due to left calf tenosynovitis, a left groin strain and a left finger blister.
This latest IL trip, whether it proves to be significant or mild, adds to a lengthy injury problem for both player and team. Lodolo also missed most of last year due to various problems in his left leg, only making seven starts on the campaign. He had an encouraging debut season in 2022, posting a 3.66 ERA over 19 starts. But the past two campaigns have been mostly defined by his lack of health and he has posted a 5.11 ERA while healthy enough to take the mound. Despite all the missed time, Lodolo will reach three years of service at season’s end and qualify for arbitration, though the injury absences will cut into his earning power.
Lodolo’s woes have been part of a constellation of injury problems for the Reds this year. Much of their projected lineup has spent at least some time out of action and the pitching staff is currently in really rough shape. Lodolo joins Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott on the IL, putting three of the clubs best starters on ice. That’s in addition to guys like Graham Ashcraft, Brandon Williamson and Christian Roa, who are also on the IL.
The Reds also traded Frankie Montas prior to the deadline, so their rotation looks far different than it did a month ago. Jakob Junis, acquired in the Montas deal, is stepping in to start today’s game. He has started in the past but hasn’t thrown more than 2 1/3 innings in any outing during the past month. He might have some workload limitations today but could perhaps be stretched out to help the Reds finish the season.
The rest of the rotation consists of Nick Martinez, Carson Spiers and Julian Aguiar. Martinez and Spiers have been in swing roles this year but have been needed in the rotation due to the aforementioned issues. Aguiar is a rookie with just two major league starts under his belt.
The Reds were off yesterday but today are starting a stretch of playing eight games in seven days, so they will need a fifth starter or some bulk innings at some point. Williamson is starting a rehab assignment but will presumably need some time to ramp up. Lyon Richardson and Connor Phillips are on the 40-man roster but neither has been posting great results this year. Justus Sheffield is around in a non-roster role but isn’t pitching well either. Prospect Rhett Lowder has just one start above Double-A and isn’t yet on the 40-man roster.
It’s a less than ideal situation for the stretch of a disappointing season. The Reds came into the year with postseason aspirations but the massive slate of injuries have handcuffed them all year. They are currently eight games out of a playoff spot and it will be very difficult to climb back into the picture with so many of their starters out of action.
Got hurt flipping someone off?
I joke please don’t take me seriously!
They really need to look at pitchers conditioning especially and conditioning as a whole in the offseason. Something is seriously wrong here.
More middle finger stretching?
You can’t take “this one” seriously because he apparently starts typing before engaging his little gray cells. Better to wait for adults to come on board.
For right or wrong today’s pitchers are way more protected than in the past. The IL is almost like a carousel with hurlers hopping on and off all season. I’m sure it has to do with how valuable they are to a team’s success and the enormous the $investment in them.
Middle finger strain.
Those damn weighted balls.
Lodolo and Glasnow both throw the Roger Beshens Football Slider.
They both need a little time out.
They have those machines to help improve spin rate, for example. No one understands how that affects arms/elbows/etc. yet that I know of, but I think we know the answer from the evidence around us.
Everything is mph and spin rate at the expense of good mechanics in some cases.
The Reds have clearly reached the point where they’re throwing in the towel. No sense risking a more severe injury by trying to pitch through minor issues at this point.
They threw in rhe towel a month ago, my friend. They just didn’t tell anyone.
The Red’s season ended in mid-May. The front office will use injuries as an excuse not to spend money this winter.
Billy Martin decided the 1980 Oakland A’s after winning just 36 games in 1979, would rely heavily on starting pitching. Here is what happened.
Mike Norris 22-9, 33 games started, 24 complete games
Steve McCatty – 14-14, 31 games started, 11 complete games
Brian Kingman – 8-20, 30 games started, 10 complete games
Rick Langford – 19-12 … 33 games started, 28 complete games
Matt Keough – 16-13 …. 32 games started, 20 complete games
Bob Lacey was the closer …. He finished with 6 saves.
Oakland had I believe 94 complete games by starting pitchers out of 162.
They were playing against better players than the manipulated form of entertainment being played today that is primarily driven by media rights $$$$.
They were all throwing the same ball. Unlike today, where MLB can decide Aaron Judge and Ohtani are gonna be a superheros, and make sure they only get thrown the balls that go out of the park easily. The rest of the ordinary guys get fed a steady diet of ball that don’t go out of the park easily.
I guess you “enjoyed” seeing guys like Brady Anderson, who had never had a double-digit home run season ….. All of sudden jack 50 homers batting lead off after getting on “vitamins”. After the “vitamin” scandal …. MLB then purchases Rawlings, the company that makes the baseballs, and incorporates balls that go out of the park easily, and balls that don’t. This is how you create “Vitamin” stats without the vitamins.
They called me up to ask how my fork ball was after all these years. I guess they really did stick a fork in it.
Our season is over obviously and has been previously to this latest development but what I fail to understand is why this front office keeps being up guys like Legumina and Richardson when Lowder Petty and Phillips are right there. It’s ridiculous.
Second straight bullpen game, boys! Let’s burn out that bullpen! Our IL is short a few guys, after all!