Cincinnati Reds Pitcher Nick Lodolo Gets Good News Regarding Return From Leg Injury

The Cincinnati Reds, in a battle for the National League Central crown, got some positive news regarding injured left-handed pitcher Nick Lodolo.

The following updates comes from the Rotowire fantasy baseball portal:

Lodolo (lower leg) will begin a rehab program in Arizona on Monday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.

ANALYSIS
An MRI taken Wednesday was encouraging, and he's been cleared to take off his walking boot in the next few days. There isn't much clarity regarding his return date, but Lodolo isn't expected back until at least August. The 25-year-old lefty held a 6.29 ERA and 1.75 WHIP through 34.1 innings before being shut down due to a stress reaction in his left tibia.

It's just a first step, but it's a big first step. Lodolo is on the 60-day injured list and can't come back until August, but the team will hope he can contribute to a playoff push. The Reds have also lost young star Hunter Greene to the injured list recently, so the rotation has been teetering.

While Lodolo's numbers don't look great, as evidenced above, he is one of the many young players that the Reds are counting on in the future. The 25-year-old is armed with an upper-90s fastball and a wipeout slider.

He was selected No. 7 overall by the Reds in the 2019 draft out of TCU.

The Reds are currently 44-39 and tied for first place in the Central. They will play the San Diego Padres on Sunday at 1:40 p.m. ET as Andrew Abbott, another rookie, gets the ball.