Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona announced Sunday that rookie pitcher Rhett Lowder will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a shoulder injury affecting his throwing arm.
The 24-year-old right-hander underwent an MRI examination on Friday, which showed no significant structural damage. However, medical staff administered an injection to the AC joint in his right shoulder to address the issue.
“We’re going to place him on the IL,” Francona explained. “It’s not been done yet, but I think our thought was we’re trying not to put a Band-Aid on something. We want this kid to be able to pitch and pitch for a long time and not get interrupted. So hopefully a couple weeks down will do him a world of good.”
The injury comes after a difficult outing against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, where Lowder struggled through three innings in an 8-3 defeat. He surrendered three runs on a single hit – a home run – while issuing four walks, earning the loss in the process.
This season, Lowder holds a 3-3 record with a 5.40 earned run average across eight starting assignments. Over his brief major league career spanning 14 appearances, all as a starter, he maintains a 5-5 record with a 3.52 ERA for Cincinnati.
