Cincinnati Reds lefty Nick Lodolo looks good in Triple-A rehab start

Nick Lodolo was officially sent out on a rehab assignment this afternoon. Last week he threw a live batting practice/simulated game to teammates where he was also working on a new grip for his breaking ball. Today he took things to a game environment in St. Paul, Minnesota where the Triple-A Louisville Bats took on the Twins Triple-A club.

The Cincinnati Reds left-handed starter threw 65 pitches on the day and allowed three runs in 4.1 innings on five hits, two walks, and he struck out four. That line may not seem like one from a pitcher who “looked good” as the title of this article implies, but the line itself doesn’t give one the context of the game.

The first batter of the game hit a ground-rule double to center field. Stop me if you have heard this somewhere before, but the guy playing center field is not an outfielder. Today was the first ever game in the outfield for Dominic Pitelli, who has been a shortstop and second baseman his entire collegiate and professional career. His first several steps were in. The ball landed on the warning track. It was likely a ball that would have been caught by someone who has played in the outfield before. The ball, though, wasn’t caught and the batter wound up scoring on a groundball double play later in the inning.

Nick Lodolo did get himself into trouble in the 5th inning, though. He retired the first batter of the inning but then walked the next guy before giving up a single. The final hitter he faced on the day lined a 2-run double into the left field corner.

Lodolo threw his breaking ball 15 times in the game. It was a strike eight times. Batters only swung at it twice. They missed once and grounded out the other time.

Of the outs recorded by Lodolo, there were six on the ground and two on fly balls. Three of the hits he gave up were on grounders – including an infield hit that didn’t reach the infield dirt.

Blake Dunn has surgery

Reds manager Terry Francona told Fox 19’s Charlie Goldsmith that outfield Blake Dunn had elbow surgery. He had an internal brace procedure, which is similar to but not quite the same thing as Tommy John surgery. Both are performed with the same goal, though – to repair/fix a torn UCL in the elbow. Francona said recovery time would be about six months. That would put Dunn in a timeline where he would be ready to go for spring training in 2027.