Reds' Nick Lodolo: Poised to come off IL on Friday
Lodolo (finger) is expected to return from the 15-day injured list to start Friday's home game against the Astros, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Lodolo -- who has been on the shelf all season due to a blister on his left index finger -- made the third and final start of his rehab assignment Saturday, striking out six batters and allowing two earned runs on five hits and two walks over 4.1 innings for Triple-A Louisville. The left-hander built up to 79 pitches in the outing, so he should be ready to handle a fairly normal workload next weekend in what would be his 2026 debut for the Reds. Before the Reds lock Lodolo into their upcoming pitching schedule, he'll likely need to complete a bullpen session Monday or Tuesday without incident.
