The Cincinnati Reds have landed starting pitcher Nick Lodolo back on the injured list, this time for 15 days, after a blister on his left index finger forced him out of Saturday’s game against the visiting Chicago Cubs.
To fill his roster spot, the team called up 23-year-old rookie right-hander Chase Petty from Triple-A Louisville.
Blisters on that same finger have been a persistent problem for Lodolo. He was already on the injured list to start this season after a blister developed on March 22, and Saturday marked just his 12th start since returning. He was pulled from that outing after giving up a leadoff home run to Carson Kelly in the sixth inning.
Before exiting, the 28-year-old southpaw had allowed two runs on five hits, walked three, and struck out four batters over five-plus innings. Lodolo said he noticed something was off while warming up before the sixth inning, though he didn’t spot the blister on his finger until after Kelly’s home run cleared the fences.
On the season, Lodolo carries a 3-2 record with a 4.60 ERA, 27 walks, and 50 strikeouts across 62 2/3 innings in those 12 outings.
Looking at his career numbers, Lodolo is 27-24 with one save and a 4.13 ERA, totaling 144 walks and 506 strikeouts over 472 1/3 innings in 88 regular-season appearances — 87 of them starts — since breaking into the majors in 2022. Blister-related injured list stints have also occurred in 2024 and 2025, and he missed time as a minor leaguer in 2021. The Reds originally selected him in the first round, seventh overall, in the 2019 MLB Draft out of TCU.
Lodolo is actively looking for ways to prevent the blisters from recurring, including possibly adjusting the grip on his breaking ball. Reds manager Terry Francona said the organization is working through options alongside him, but cautioned against rushing into any changes.
“Nick even mentioned it last night talking to him. Saying that, you really got to think it through,” Francona said. “Because for me to sit here in my chair and say, ‘Well, just move your finger over to the side.’”
“The kid’s been pitching like this his whole life. I agree the blister is not good. If you hurt your shoulder (changing grips), there’s got to be some pulling back on the reins a little bit and not jumping in until you know something can really help,” Francona added.
As for Petty, the young right-hander has appeared in 11 games for Cincinnati this season — including two starts — posting a 1-2 record with one save, a 4.38 ERA, seven walks, and 11 strikeouts over 24 2/3 innings. Minnesota originally drafted him in the first round, 26th overall, in 2021 before trading him to Cincinnati in March 2022 in exchange for right-hander Sonny Gray and minor league pitcher Francis Peguero. Since making his major league debut in 2025, Petty holds a career mark of 1-5 with one save and a 7.34 ERA across 30 2/3 innings in 14 games.
