Cincinnati Reds starter Nick Lodolo out for at least a month with stress reaction in leg

DENVER – The Cincinnati Reds will be without starting pitcher Nick Lodolo for at least a month and it’s possible his leg injury could sideline him for much longer.

Lodolo returned to Cincinnati last weekend after he was placed on the 15-day injured list with left calf tendinosis, scratched from a start Saturday. A followup MRI exam Monday revealed a stress reaction in his left tibia. He’s in a walking boot and will be reevaluated with another MRI exam in two weeks.

“He’s still at the beginning stages of being in a boot and letting it heal,” Reds Manager David Bell said. “He’s pretty limited right now. Limited him on purpose, so he can heal before he takes any next steps. I think the next big milestone will be another MRI in two weeks. At that point, if he’s made progress, we’ll know a lot more about what the overall timeline is going to be.”

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Lodolo, the 25-year-old lefty, is shut down from baseball activities, so it will take multiple weeks once he’s deemed healthy to build up his arm to return to the Reds’ rotation. He attempted to pitch through leg soreness since the end of spring training, and he was outfitted with orthotics in his shoes last week in an attempt to solve the pain in his calf.

The pain didn’t disappear and now the Reds will be without one of their young rotation mainstays for a chunk of the season.

Lodolo had a 2-1 record and a 6.29 ERA through seven starts, leading the league in homers allowed (10) and hit batsmen (seven). After three strong outings to begin the year, Lodolo gave up 32 hits and 20 runs in his last 17 1/3 innings (10.38 ERA).

It’s the third straight season Lodolo has dealt with an injury. He was sidelined for a couple of months last year with a back strain. In 2021, he was limited to 50 minor league innings because of blisters and a left shoulder strain.

Ben Lively enters Reds rotation

Following an off day Thursday, Ben Lively is expected to start against the New York Yankees on Friday. Luke Weaver and Hunter Greene, who will start Saturday and Sunday respectively, were pushed back a day to take advantage of the off day.

Lively pitched out of the bullpen Monday, so he will be on shorter rest than a typical start, but he threw only 28 pitches in his relief appearance.  

“We had like five different ways we could have done it with this off day,” Bell said. “In the end, we prioritized getting everybody an extra day.”

Bell didn’t commit to the rotation order following the weekend series against the Yankees, but lefty Brandon Williamson is expected to remain in the rotation after he had a solid major league debut Tuesday. Williamson allowed two hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings against the Colorado Rockies.

Reds injury updates: Fernando Cruz and Tony Santillan

Reds reliever Fernando Cruz is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville on Sunday. He went on the 15-day IL on April 30 with a right shoulder strain and traveled to Louisville on Tuesday to prepare to pitch in games.

Cruz could rejoin the Reds as early as their next road trip against the Chicago Cubs, which begins May 26.

Tony Santillan, who has been sidelined all year with low back, right knee and left hamstring injuries, was scratched from throwing a live batting practice session because of left hamstring soreness.

Mike Moustakas homers against former team

The Reds are paying Mike Moustakas $17.28 million this season after he was released in December, plus his $4 million buyout for next year.

Moustakas, who declined an interview request before Tuesday’s game, greeted his former team with a solo home run to the second deck Monday off Hunter Greene, his second home run of the season.

He totaled 21 homers in 184 games across his three seasons with the Reds after signing the richest free agent contract in Reds history.