The Reds will place starter Nick Lodolo on the 15-day injured list to begin the year, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer. The southpaw joins Hunter Greene in starting the season on the shelf.
Greene will miss most or all of the first half after undergoing surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. Lodolo’s issue is far less concerning. He’s dealing with a blister on his index finger, which forced him out of his start on Sunday after 10 pitches. A season-opening IL stint can be backdated by three days, meaning he’ll be eligible to return 13 days into the regular season.
It’ll probably be close to a minimal stint, though it’s nevertheless frustrating for Lodolo to miss at least one or two turns through the rotation. Lodolo has a history of blister issues. This will be the third consecutive season in which one sends him to the injured list. He had a minimal absence in 2024 and missed around three weeks last August.
Andrew Abbott makes his first career Opening Day start opposite Garrett Crochet and the Red Sox on Thursday. Lodolo had been slated to start the second game of the season, followed by Brady Singer in the series finale. They’ll now likely bump Singer up to Saturday and have Rhett Lowder take the ball to close the Boston series. Chase Burns and Brandon Williamson round out the starting five and can open next week’s series against the Pirates.
Manager Terry Francona announced last week that Lowder, Burns and Williamson had all made the team. The Reds weren’t planning a six-man rotation but could have used Burns and Williamson as tandem starters or swing options. They’ll instead work as more traditional starters until Lodolo is healthy, which will open a spot in the bullpen. Kyle Nicolas was their most recent bullpen cut and could be brought back up. Julian Aguiar or Chase Petty are other possibilities for a long relief role.
