The Boston Red Sox are starting their season with a stroke of luck against the Cincinnati Reds. Originally slated to face Cincinnati's ace, Hunter Greene, the Red Sox got a break when Greene was ruled out for Opening Day following offseason elbow surgery.
The good fortune continued for Boston as news emerged that Cincinnati's Nick Lodolo would also be unavailable, starting the season on the 15-day injured list due to a blister on his index finger. Lodolo's absence is particularly advantageous for Boston, given his track record. Last season, he was a standout for the Reds, posting a solid 3.33 ERA, a 1.079 WHIP, and tallying 156 strikeouts over 156.2 innings.
Boston's lineup, still heavy on left-handed hitters despite offseason additions like Caleb Durbin and Willson Contreras, was set to face Lodolo, a lefty, in game two. Missing his start is a welcome relief for the Sox, especially since they'll also be without Romy Gonzalez, a key right-handed bat, who is recovering from shoulder surgery.
In spring training, Lodolo showed some rust, posting a 7.24 ERA over 13.2 innings, largely due to his injury. The Reds' pitching staff, as a whole, struggled during the Grapefruit League, with a team ERA of 6.47, ranking near the bottom of the league. The Red Sox didn’t fare much better, so both teams will be eager to put spring struggles behind them.
The Red Sox will face Andrew Abbott on Opening Day, followed by Brady Singer and rookie Rhett Lowder in the subsequent games at Great American Ballpark. Abbott is coming off a breakout season that earned him an All-Star nod, while Singer has been a reliable presence in the Reds' rotation. Lowder, despite being a newcomer, impressed with a 1.17 ERA over 30.2 innings in his brief major league stint last year.
With these developments, Boston's early season matchups are shaping up to be less daunting than initially expected, giving them a chance to capitalize and start strong.