Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo left Monday night’s 3–2 win over the Cubs in the bottom of the second inning after reacting visibly to a blister on his left index finger. Speaking after the game, Lodolo admitted the experience was both painful and alarming.
He had just struck out Willi Castro when he threw a slider to Justin Turner and immediately felt something tear. “It felt like the skin ripped,” Lodolo said. “When I looked down, there was a bubble with a lot of fluid underneath.” Rather than continue pitching and risk aggravating it, he opted to leave the game. “Before I threw another pitch, I figured it was best to stop,” he explained, referencing past blister problems that took time to fully heal.
Manager Terry Francona said the team is being cautious. “He’s already improving, which is encouraging,” Francona said. “But with his history, we’re definitely going to play it safe.” Lodolo previously dealt with a similar issue in 2024.
Per RotoWire, the Reds are expected to place Lodolo on the 15-day injured list, which would sideline him until around August 20. In his absence, Nick Martinez is likely to rejoin the starting rotation.
Lodolo has been enjoying a breakout 2025 campaign, posting an 8–6 record with a 3.05 ERA over a career-best 23 starts and nearly 130 innings. Over his last eight appearances, he’d brought his ERA down to roughly 2.02, with 123 strikeouts in 128 innings.
Though Lodolo said this blister wasn’t as severe as the one from last season—“It’s not as bad… I didn’t bust it open”—both he and the team are taking a careful approach to prevent any setbacks.
