Lodolo's season in jeopardy, lands on injured list with sprained finger

CINCINNATI -- For the fourth time in 2024, Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo is on the 15-day injured list. This latest stint could be the one that finishes his season prematurely.

Lodolo's latest injury is a sprained left middle finger on his pitching hand. It is expected to be in a splint for two weeks.

“It’s not concerning for the long term, but it’s a rare injury that could keep him out for the year," Reds manager David Bell said. "That’s the bottom line.”

Here is the rundown of Lodolo's previous stops on the injured list this season

• March 27-April 13: Left calf tenosynovitis, which happened as he rehabilitated from a 2023 left tibia fracture
• May 12-27: Left groin strain
• June 24-July 9: Left index finger blister

“It’s extremely frustrating, especially with what I went through last year," said Lodolo, who was limited to seven starts in 2023. "I wanted to put together as clean of a run as I could. I’ve definitely had interruptions this year. It’s harder to get into a rhythm that way."

Lodolo is the third starter from the current rotation to go on the IL in recent days. All-Star Hunter Greene has been out with a sore right elbow since Aug. 14. On Friday, Andrew Abbott was scratched and placed on the IL with a left shoulder strain. Graham Ashcraft (right elbow strain) has been out since early July and Brandon Williamson (left shoulder) has yet to pitch in the big leagues this season.

Short-handed Cincinnati called on reliever Jakob Junis to start on Tuesday vs. the Athletics, and has not named a starter for Wednesday. Rookie Julian Aguiar (No. 11 prospect), who replaced Greene, is scheduled for Thursday. Nick Martinez made a start on short rest on Sunday at Pittsburgh.

Lodolo has struggled since returning from his blister injury, posting a 7.54 ERA in nine starts. That included Thursday vs. the Pirates, when he allowed five earned runs over 4 2/3 innings in a 7-0 Reds loss.

The biggest issue for Lodolo has come from trying to use his curveball, even after the blister healed. He noted he felt soreness in his middle finger after starting games to the point where he had trouble straightening it.

“The only thing I could think of was changing the way I put finger pressure on the ball," Lodolo said. "From the beginning with my blister, it bothered me a little then but not bad at all. It would go away within a day and be perfectly fine by the time I threw again. Just the other day, it was sore. Got it worked on and stuff and it just didn’t recover well like it had been.”

Lodolo was still hopeful he could return before the season ends at the end of next month.

"I don’t know what that looks like yet," he said. "I don’t think anybody does.”