Cincinnati Reds place left back Nick Lodolo on 15-day IL due to finger injury

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Reds lost another starting pitcher when they placed left-hander Nick Lodolo on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a sprained left middle finger.

Cincinnati's rotation has been hit hard by injuries, contributing to the team falling behind in the wild-card race. Hunter Greene (right elbow soreness) and Andrew Abbott (left shoulder strain) are also on the 15-day IL.

The Reds also placed outfielder Stuart Fairchild on the 10-day IL before the opener of a three-game series against Oakland. Fairchild sprained his left thumb.

Outfielder Rece Hinds and right-hander Casey Legumina were recalled from Triple-A Louisville. Left-hander Brandon Williamson, who is recovering from a shoulder strain, came to Louisville for rehab.

Lodolo was selected No. 7 overall by Cincinnati in the 2019 amateur draft. He has been plagued by injuries since his major league debut in 2022.

After an encouraging start to the season, Lodolo has struggled since returning to the mound after being sidelined by a finger blister. In nine starts since coming off the IL on July 9, he is 1-3 with a 7.95 ERA. This is Lodolo's fourth IL appearance this season.

“I think there's a scenario where he'll need to be splinted for a couple of weeks,” Reds manager David Bell said of Lodolo's latest injury. “He could recover before then. Long-term it's nothing to worry about, but it's a rare injury that could keep him out of action for the rest of the year.”

For now, the Reds will rely on their bullpen to fill rotation spots. Nick Martinez and Carson Spires, who both began the season as relievers, will slot rookie Julian Aguiar into the rotation.