ARLINGTON, Texas \u2014 For 39 pitches in his rehab start Thursday, Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo felt great. Pitching for the Class A Daytona Tortugas, Lodolo retired the first eight batters he faced, striking out half of them. But on the third pitch to the Jupiter Hammerheads third baseman Abrahan Ramirez, and Lodolo\u2019s 40th of the game, he felt the blister on his left index finger pop up again.<\/p>\n
The blister puts Lodolo\u2019s expected return next week on hold. The blister issues that trace back to college have plagued him since.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main goal right now really has got to be that I need to get back to where I can compete at this level,\u201d Lodolo said Friday afternoon at Globe Life Field before the Reds\u2019 game against the Texas Rangers. \u201cWe\u2019re going to take it day by day and hopefully get back to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lodolo said he hoped to start playing catch in the next couple of days, but the blister issues remain. The 28-year-old spent time on the injured list each of the last two seasons with a blister on his index finger. He also had a stint on the IL for the issue as a minor-leaguer in 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the \u2018known\u2019 (cures), I\u2019ve definitely tried,\u201d Lodolo said. \u201cWe\u2019ve got some outside stuff that we\u2019ve tried, and we\u2019re going to experiment with, so yeah, hopefully something sticks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking care of the blister isn\u2019t as simple as using super glue or any of the other common remedies used to prevent or treat blisters. Nor is it something he can simply pitch through or modify his grip or mechanics. Lodolo has a callus that\u2019s built up on the tip of his left index finger from throwing his fastball, but it\u2019s his slider that causes a blister on the pad of the finger.<\/p>\n
Pitching through the blister isn\u2019t about toughness, but effectiveness. Lodolo\u2019s slider is an elite pitch, a big part of why he was a first-round pick and 9-8 with a 3.33 ERA last season with the Reds. Not throwing his best pitch to hitters is a non-starter, and changing it would likely make it less effective.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s something we don\u2019t really want to change,\u201d Lodolo said. \u201cAs I start throwing and stuff over the next couple of days, I think we\u2019ll have more conversations about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lodolo will be able to play catch this weekend and beyond, but his return is in doubt until the blister heals. When he\u2019s tried to get back too quickly in the past, the blister has either popped back up or worse. In 2024, he suffered a ligament injury in the finger, ending his season more than a month prematurely.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to all put our heads together and he, obviously, is going to be the biggest voice because he\u2019s the one who has to do it,\u201d Reds manager Terry Francona said.<\/p>\n