March 23, 2026: The Reds are being cautious with left-hander Nick Lodolo, who was lifted in his final Cactus League tune-up before the Reds broke camp in Arizona after just 10 pitches due to a blister on his left index finger. Lodolo has dealt with a blister on the same finger each of the past two seasons.

Francona said Lodolo, who is expected to play catch, could stay on schedule to make his first start of the season, but he described that scenario as “the longest shot.” Lodolo could also be pushed to the back of the rotation or land on the injured list, which would mean he’d miss the first 12 days of the season.

“The IL is not the greatest option, but what we don't want to do is pitch him and then lose him for three weeks,” Francona said. “We're not rushing him to the IL. We'll see how it goes. He’s a different case than Singer, just in the fact that he's got a track record [for blisters].” (R Rovito - MLB.com - March 23, 2026)

Lodolo graduated from Damien High School in La Verne, California, with a commitment to Texas Christian University.

In 2016, the Pirates chose Nick as their lottery pick, which is an award to teams via the Competitive Balance Lottery. Teams that have either one of the 10 smallest markets or 10 smallest revenue pools are eligible. Additionally, any other club that receives revenue-sharing funds is eligible for the supplemental second-round selections. Lottery picks may be traded.

July 15, 2016: The Pirates were unable to sign Lodolo, the team's second pick in the Draft, before the 5:00 p.m. ET deadline. So he was off to Texas Christian University.

The 41st overall selection posted on Twitter that he intends to honor his commitment to Texas Christian University. Lodolo's account is protected, but a screenshot of a July 12 post included the following message: "I'm proud to officially be a Horned Frog!! Let's get back to Omaha!"

The Pirates picked Lodolo out of Damien High School in the Competitive Balance Round A. The slot value of his selection was $1,576,000. (A Berry - MLB.com - July 15, 2016)

Nick was the highest-drafted player not to sign professionally. He turned down the Pirates, who offered a reported $1.75 million.   (Mendez - star-telegram.com - 2/18/17)

"I just felt at the time I needed to go to college," Lodolo said in 2019. "Just for baseball purposes and just for life — to experience college, get life skills, meet people. That's the experience I wanted.

"There was a lot more to it than just baseball that came into the decision."

Nick's parents are Tom and Dana Lodolo. And he has a brother, Chris, who swam at Concordia University-Irvine and a cousin, Vinni, played tennis at Air Force.

“If you’re going to draw up a big-time professional pitcher, that’s what it looks like,” TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “It doesn’t mean he doesn’t have things to get better at; he certainly does. But his projection, as they call it, is pretty good. What’s great for us is, his current performance is pretty good, too. You don’t want a pitching staff full of guys who have great projection but can’t get anybody out right now. The beauty of Nick is he’s got both at this point.”

Schlossnagle said Lodolo, who expressed confidence in his decision to go to college, has blended in fine.  “He’s a great kid, and he’s confident,” Schlossnagle said. “With the exception of being 6-6 and left-handed, he doesn’t separate himself from anybody else. The great ones, they have that combination of being confident on a baseball field and being humble away from it.” (Mendez - Star-telegram.com - 2/18/17)

June 2017: The Reds chose Lodolo in the first round (#7 overall), out of TCU. He followed only C Adley Rutschman (O's), Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), Andrew Vaughn (White Sox), JJ Bleday (Marlins), Riley Greene (Tigers) and C.J. Abrams (Padres).

June 11, 2019: The Reds agreed to terms with Nick. Lodolo received a bonus of $5,432,400, via scout Paul Scott.

2019 Season: Lodolo had a 2.45 ERA in eight starts across stops with rookie-level Billings and Class A Dayton. But one stat that really stood out last summer was the number zero.

Over 18 1/3 innings, the left-handed Lodolo had zero walks and 30 strikeouts.

In 2021, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Lodolo as the 3rd-best prospect in the Reds' organization. He was still at #3 in 2022. He moved up to #2 just before 2023 spring training.

June 2021: Lodolo was chosen to represent the Red's in the MLB All-Star Futures Game.

Feb 16, 2022: Reds pitching prospect Nick Lodolo has been working off a mound with no concerns about the shoulder injury that hampered his 2021 season. Lodolo’s most recent bullpen session came at the club’s player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz.

Ranked by MLB Pipeline as Cincinnati’s No. 2 prospect and No. 31 overall, Lodolo had a left shoulder strain that put him on the injured list late last season. The 24-year-old was limited to three starts at Triple-A Louisville, following a promotion from Double-A Chattanooga.

“He’s been here, and we’re trying to build him up and make sure we’re beyond the shoulder issues,” Reds vice president of player development Shawn Pender said. “We were cautious last year. I think rightfully so, based on some of the other things that were happening. He threw very well. He looks completely healthy.

“We may again decide to be a little cautious to start, but based on what I’ve seen and what I’ve been told by our folks, he’s right on target. He looks good, looks strong, looks ready.”

In 13 games combined with Louisville and Chattanooga in 2022, Lodolo was 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. He also dealt with blisters on his pitching hand that were caused by the seams on the Minor League baseballs. The team had him use Major League balls in side bullpen sessions, which alleviated the problem. But the experience may have indirectly led to his shoulder issues.

After he took time off to let the blisters heal, Lodolo pitched one inning in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game in July. And Pender felt the pitcher ramped up his workload too soon in the games that followed.

“I don’t think I did a good enough job to make sure we had built him up properly,” Pender said. “Came back, and instead of him showing we built him up from the missed time he had, we went from one-inning, 30-pitch max to like three innings, 65 pitches. So he gets to his 65 and there should have been a built-in gap in between the 1/35 and the 3/65-70. As a result, I think it overtaxed him with the time off, and he strained it.” (M Sheldon - MLB.com - Feb 16, 2022)

Feb 17, 2022: Reds best prospect out of college — Nick Lodolo, LHP (No. 2, MLB No. 31)

Lodolo was taken No. 41 overall by the Pirates in 2016, but opted to head to Texas Christian University instead of signing. He spent three years in the Horned Frogs rotation and parlayed his 2.36 ERA, 11.4 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 junior season into being the first pitcher taken in the 2019 Draft.

The advanced lefty has moved quickly, reaching Triple-A in 2021, and while shoulder woes did limit him to just 50 2/3 innings last year, he appeared strong and healthy as the Reds started their early camp. (Mayo, Callis, Dykstra - MLB.com - Feb 17, 2022)

March 5, 2022: The Reds’ No. 2 prospect, left-handed starting pitcher Nick Lodolo, has had a normal spring to this point. In 2021, Lodolo had a left shoulder sprain that put him on the injured list late in the year, and he dealt with blisters on his pitching hand.

“Honestly, I’ve put it behind me,” Lodolo said at Cincinnati’s Minor League camp. “I feel good. I feel as if I came into any other spring without limitations or hesitation.”

Lodolo, who is ranked No. 31 overall by MLB Pipeline, has thrown several bullpen sessions without issue and threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts during a recent intrasquad scrimmage.

“He’s looked really good,” Reds vice president of player development Shawn Pender said on Friday. “He’s looked healthy, and he’s throwing all three of his pitches. The changeup looks like it has improved, which is the one thing we wanted him to continue to work on and develop — it’s the feel.”

Lodolo, 24, was 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in 13 starts combined in 2021 for Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. He was limited to three starts with Louisville because of the shoulder injury. (Reds - MLB.com - March 5, 2022)

MLB debut (April 13, 2022):  In four innings, Lodolo walked three, hit two, and gave up five runs and seven hits, including two home runs. The Reds lost 7-3 loss to the Guardians.

April 18-21, 2025: Nick was on the paternity list.

April 21, 2025: Nick made his first start on the bump after being reinstated from the Reds’ paternity list. The new father tossed 99 pitches over 5 2/3 innings, striking out four and allowing three earned runs in Cincinnati’s 6-3 loss to Miami. He has a 2.79 ERA through five starts this season.

“You’re excited,” Lodolo said on his emotions in his return, following what he tabbed as the “best couple of days of my life.”

“You’ve got a different type of adrenaline running through,” he said. “The last couple of days have been great. I got here last night, and felt great going into today.” (J Morris - mLB.com - April 21, 2025)

March 11, 2026: Lodolo to follow fellow lefty Abbott in Reds' rotation to begin 2026.

TRANSACTIONS

June 2017: The Reds chose Lodolo in the first round (#7 overall), out of TCU. He received a bonus of $5,432,400, via scout Paul Scott.

  Jan 9, 2025: Nick avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal with the Reds worth $1.97 million.

Lodolo has a 91-96 mph FASTBALL with some sink and running life. He can really drive it down low in the zone. It has enough life to miss some bats because it arrives from a tough angle. He gets a 50 grade for that heater, on the 20-80 scouting scale.

He has a 50 grade CUTTER.

In 2018, he added a disgusting SLIDER. It took him only a week to make it a 50 grade pitch, and it is now 60 grade. He gives hitters a breaking ball with a different shape and speed to think about. Nick's slider  darts under the bats of righthanded hitters, while lefthanders have almost no chance against the sweepier version.

He has natural feel for spinning a 71-74 mph two-plane CURVEBALL with a 1-to-7 shape, getting ground balls from it. That curve gets a 45. He improved his CHANGEUP at the Reds' alternate site during the pandemic, that now garners a 50 grade. He has 60 grade control.

While there's nothing spectacular about Lodolo's pitch assortment, he has the rare ability to locate everything he throws and confidence to throw off-speed pitches in fastball counts. His 86-88 mph slider is his lone plus pitch. It's effective against lefties and righties, as it has tight, late break. His average 93-96 mph fastball works because he can run it in and out—he mainly throws a sinker, but also mixes in a four-seamer and he throws a cutter as well.

His fringy, sweepy curveball became much less of a factor as he gained confidence in his slider. His average changeup has improved as a pro, and he's shown confidence to spot it against lefties and righties. Lodolo already has plus control and with his repeatable delivery, and he has plus command. 

Lodolo is unlikely to develop into an ace, but he is one of the safer bets in the minors to develop into a solid MLB starter. His confidence facing righthanded hitters and his command make everything play up, giving him a shot to be a reliable No. 3 or No. 4 starter. (J.J. Cooper - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Completely healthy, Lodolo can get back to using three at-least above-average pitches with plus command and control. While his fastball typically sits in the low-90s, the left-hander easily touched mid-90s at times, with some believing he could end up sitting closer to 95 mph in the future, and he usually throws it with a ton of sink. His slider flashes plus, a low-80s breaking ball that showed much more cross-plane depth than it had previously. He’ll throw an occasional plus changeup as well, with good deception and fade/tumble, as he continues to work on using it more effectively.

Lodolo’s pitches play up because of his ability to locate all of them, and the Reds were pleased with how much he learned about how to attack hitters and mix his stuff to keep them guessing. The hope was that the shoulder issue is something minor that popped up after he tried to do too much coming off the blister issue and that he can keep pairing with Hunter Greene as a dynamic duo in the big league rotation soon. (Spring 2022)

• 2022 Season Pitch Usage/Avg. Velo: Fastball 36.2% - 94.5 mph; Curve 30.3% - 81.6 mph; Sinker 22.7% - 94.2 mph; Change 10.6% - 88.4 mph.

  2023 Season Pitch Usage/ Avg. Velo: Fastball 39% - 94 mph; Sinker 13.4% - 93.7 mph; Slider 35% - 80 mph; Change 13% - 88 mph.

2024 Season Pitch Usage/Avg. Velo: 4-seam Fastball 28% - 94.2 mph; Sinker 28.2% - 94 mph; Change 16.3% - 88.2 mph; Slider 27.4% - 81.7 mph.

2025 Season Pitch Usage/Avg. Velo: 4-seam Fastball 25% - 94 mph; Sinker 24.7% - 93.6 mph; Change 21.2% - 87.8 mph; Slider 29.2% - 81.8 mph/

Nick's wide arm slot adds deception. Lodolo already has plus control and with his repeatable delivery, and he projects to have future plus command, perhaps a 60 grade. (J.J. Cooper - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2022)

While Lodolo fits the “advanced college lefty” label extremely well, he’s not just a pitch-ability guy with no stuff. He has three pitches that are consistently above average.

He throws his fastball downhill with good sinking movement, using his 6-foot-6 frame well. His slider is a tight breaking ball and has greater depth and bite now than it used to, with excellent late action. He specifically worked on his changeup during his time at the alternate training site, and he made strides in matching his arm slot to how he throws his fastball more consistently, providing more deception with very good fade and tumble.

Though he's known as a strike-thrower, Lodolo improved the command of his fastball to attack hitters’ weaknesses more effectively. While he has an extremely high floor as a starter who can move quickly through the system, there’s still some upside here as he continues to add strength to his frame. (Spring 2021)

Nick's ceiling has always been more of a mid-rotation starter than an ace. He needs to improve his velocity, fastball command and changeup to get there. (J.J. Cooper - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2021)

Lodolo has three above-average pitches that he has shown the ability to command extremely well. He uses his size (6-foot-6) to his advantage, delivering his fastball downhill, with plenty of sink. His decision to scrap his curve for a slider has been a good one, with his tighter breaking ball evolving into an excellent weapon. His changeup has good action at the plate, and he sells it well with good arm speed.

Though he's an advanced college lefty with tremendous pitch-ability, he also has some projection as he should add strength to his long and lean frame. He has the chance to move quickly through the system and could just as rapidly rise up the ranks of top left-handed pitching prospects in the game. (Spring 2020)

Nick is one tall, thin lefthander. He is young and rather awkward, but he has enough fluidity in his easy delivery from average arm speed. He throws downhill very effectively. He is not all that consistent repeating his delivery. But he has some deception.

Lodolo's front leg will drift during the drive right now, and he doesn’t generate consistent momentum or hip rotation as he pushes off. There’s a lot of length in the motion that leads to a late arrival to his three-quarters slot and subsequently, he struggles with arm-side command.

Nick is a durable lefty. He has more projection than most college arms thanks to a lean body that can add more weight (and velo).

Lodolo is a fierce competitor, but his calm and cool demeanor keep him cool on the mound. "I think it helps in games; it helps slow the game down," Nick said. "It doesn't speed up on me at all, really."

Dec 31, 2020: Reds: Nick Lodolo, LHP (No. 1/MLB No. 44)

Thought to be an advanced college lefty heading into the 2019 Draft, Lodolo lived up to that billing during his brief pro debut the summer after the Reds made him the No. 7 overall pick.

He knew he had to work on his changeup to take the next step and he did just that over the summer, making big strides in use of the pitch and deception, giving him the chance to be an elite-level starter in the near future.

2021 Season: Lodolo made 10 starts for the Lookouts and allowed only 9 runs in those starts. He walked only 9 batters while striking out 68. He held opposing batters to a .198 average while putting up a WHIP of just 0.91.

Nick was the first pitcher to come off the board during the 2019 Draft, albeit relatively late at No. 7. He's atoned for it by zipping through the minors, accruing a 2.31 ERA and a 7.09 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 13 starts across Double- and Triple-A in his first full professional season. (He was hampered by blisters and shoulder fatigue.)

Lodolo doesn't have loud stuff; he does have a good slider and a broad arsenal of average offerings that play up because of his command and the deception he creates with a lower release point.  (R.J. Anderson - Jan. 10, 2022)

April 24, 2022: Cincinnati's 11-game losing streak finally ended, the team earned its first home win of the year, and Lodolo notched his first Major League victory with a 4-1 win over St. Louis at Great American Ball Park.

"A lot of celebration going on. It was obviously a big win. Looking back, our guys have been doing everything they can to win a game ... fighting through it and battling," Reds manager David Bell said. "Lodolo really just came out and when we needed it most, got his first win and was just outstanding." (M Sheldon - MLB.com - April 24, 2022)

2022 Season:  103 1/3 IP, 4-7, 3.66 ERA, 39 BB, 131 K, 1.25 WHIP, .235 BAA 

Lodolo combined with Hunter Greene and Graham Ashcraft to form a youth movement in the Cincinnati starting pitching corps. His low-80s curveball played best right away, generating whiffs on 46 percent of batters' swings against it.  (Sam Dykstra - Oct. 16, 2022)

2024 Season: In 2023, Lodolo looked sharp over his first three starts (four runs, 24 baserunners, and 27 strikeouts over 17.0 innings). He lost his way over his following four starts (20 runs, 36 baserunners, nine home runs, and seven hit batters over 17.1 innings). His failure was due to a stress reaction in his left tibia, costing him the final four months of the season.

A groin issue last year led to him missing two weeks in May. He went 8-2 over his first 11 starts with a 2.76 ERA, 1.010 WHIP, and 79 strikeouts over 65.1 innings. Unfortunately, his season ended with poor stats in seven of his final 10 matchups (41 runs, 72 baserunners, and seven home runs over 50.0 innings with 52 strikeouts). Lodolo picked up a blister issue in late June (IL stint), followed by a season-ending finger injury in late August.

His average fastball (94.2) gained some velocity. Lodolo continues to have a plus slider (.215 BAA and 65 strikeouts). His four-seamer (.182 BAA) and changeup (.235 BAA) were much better in 2024. Lodolo had a below-par sinker (.273 BAA) that he rarely used against lefties. (Shawn Childs - Feb. 13, 2025)

April 27, 2025: The left-hander became just the fifth visiting pitcher ever to throw seven innings, allow no runs, walk one or fewer batters, and record nine or more strikeouts at Coors Field. (Greg Kuffner - SI)

Lodolo (8-6) allowed four hits with no walks. The 27-year-old left-hander made his 21st start of the season and has 124 1/3 innings pitched, a single-season career best. (WCPO - Cincinnati)

Lodolo’s curveball has been his only pitch that moves toward his glove side, coming from a lower arm angle. He relied heavily on the curveball in 2025 (43.8%) compared to 2024 (37.3%) and 2023 (49.5%) against left-handed hitters. That aligns with the quality outcomes via the curveball against left-handed hitters, leading to a .263 wOBA (.166 xwOBA) in 2025 compared to a .271 wOBA (.180 xwOBA) in 2024.

Interestingly, Lodolo continued to lower his arm angle when throwing the curveball from 18.8 degrees (2024) to 15.9 degrees (2025). He has been using a slightly lower vertical release point with the horizontal release fluctuating throughout his career. Although it’s unusual, Lodolo’s curveball has been his best pitch, ranking 13th in Stuff+ for curveballs among pitchers with 100 innings pitched.  (Corbin Young - Yahoo Fantasy Contributor - March 4, 2026) 

2021: Lodolo had a blister problem caused by the seams on minor league baseballs, that cost him a month early in the season. The blister issue first popped up for the 24-year-old on May 30, when he exited a start early. He made only one start over the next five weeks before returning in July in limited action.

Indirectly, the blisters led to a shoulder strain that saw the 6-foot-6, 205-pound Lodolo shut down late in the season.

April 25-July 5, 2022: Nick was on the IL with lower right back strain.

May 14-end of 2023 season: Lodolo was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left tibia and placed on the IL. A follow-up MRI taken revealed that Lodolo has a stress reaction in his left tibia.

March 6, 2024:  Lodolo has left tibia discomfort. Reds manager David Bell said the team would review the results of Lodolo’s visit earlier in the week with a specialist before providing an official update on his status.

March 25-April 13, 2024: Nick was on the IL with left calf tenosynovitis.

May 12-27, 2024: The Reds placed left-hander Nick Lodolo on the 15-day injured list with a left groin strain. He felt the injury following a side bullpen session before that appearance.

June 24-July 9, 2024: Nick was on the IL with left finger blister.

Aug 24-Oct 1, 2024: Nick was on the IL with left middle finger sprain.

Aug 5-27, 2025: Nick was on the IL with left finger blister.

“It’s the same thing," Lodolo said after flying to Texas from Daytona. "Frustrating for sure. In the third inning, I thought I was in the clear. On the 40th pitch, it came back up. We’re going to still talk in there and get a plan together on what to do going forward.”