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MIAMI ‒ Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo played catch Monday for the first time since a setback with his finger blister during a rehab start April 2.
He had no apparent issues during a light throwing session, but the clock is ticking on how long it’ll take him to get back in a rehab game, which could determine how much he’ll have to be built back up before being ready to return from the injured list.
Lodolo threw 10 pitches in his final Cactus League start March 22, then didn’t pitch in a game again until the 40-pitch rehab start last week.
Will he need just one more start? Two? Can the Reds get him up to, say, 60 pitches and activate him for an abbreviated season debut?
“Depends how long (the latest process takes),” manager Terry Francona said. “We need to use some common sense, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do.”
Neither Francona nor pitching coach Derek Johnson seemed to think Lodolo would need a lengthy rehab stretch, since he was nearly fully built up for the season until that March 22 start. That could change quickly if the blister on his index finger prevents a quick return to the mound.
The training staff is treating the blister aggressively, presumably with various topicals ‒ and also what Francona called “gadgets.”
Meanwhile, the Reds rode a pitching staff missing three key components on the IL to a 3.25 ERA that has been the backbone to a 6-3 start to the season despite entering the Miami series tied for last in the league in scoring. That team ERA ranked fifth in MLB entering the week.
A rotation missing its two best veteran pitchers (Lodolo and Hunter Greene) contributed a 3.42 ERA to that overall performance.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds baseball talks timeline for Nick Lodolo's return
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He had no apparent issues during a light throwing session, but the clock is ticking on how long it’ll take him to get back in a rehab game, which could determine how much he’ll have to be built back up before being ready to return from the injured list.
Lodolo threw 10 pitches in his final Cactus League start March 22, then didn’t pitch in a game again until the 40-pitch rehab start last week.
Will he need just one more start? Two? Can the Reds get him up to, say, 60 pitches and activate him for an abbreviated season debut?
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“Depends how long (the latest process takes),” manager Terry Francona said. “We need to use some common sense, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do.”
Neither Francona nor pitching coach Derek Johnson seemed to think Lodolo would need a lengthy rehab stretch, since he was nearly fully built up for the season until that March 22 start. That could change quickly if the blister on his index finger prevents a quick return to the mound.
The training staff is treating the blister aggressively, presumably with various topicals ‒ and also what Francona called “gadgets.”
Meanwhile, the Reds rode a pitching staff missing three key components on the IL to a 3.25 ERA that has been the backbone to a 6-3 start to the season despite entering the Miami series tied for last in the league in scoring. That team ERA ranked fifth in MLB entering the week.
A rotation missing its two best veteran pitchers (Lodolo and Hunter Greene) contributed a 3.42 ERA to that overall performance.
Greene, Ferguson injury updates
- Greene hits the four-week mark this week since his surgery to remove bone chips and will start throwing weighted Plyo Balls against a wall by the end of the week. It’s the start of a long process that would return him from the IL sometime in July, barring a setback.
- Left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson (oblique) has progressed enough in his throwing program that he’s scheduled for his first bullpen session in the progression late this week. If that goes well, a timeline for a rehab assignment starts to crystallize.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds baseball talks timeline for Nick Lodolo's return
Continue reading...
