The Reds didn’t exactly light up the trade deadline, but that quiet finish wasn’t as simple as sitting on their hands. A chunk of their best trade ammunition was parked on the injured list, and Nick Lodolo was one of the biggest names in that group.
Lodolo has been out since mid-July with yet another blister injury, the fourth time in the last three years that exact issue has knocked him off schedule. That kind of stop-start pattern has taken a real bite out of his value, because the left-hander’s talent has never been the problem. Staying available has.
Now the 28-year-old is trying something different. After resisting change for years, Lodolo is adjusting the grips on his breaking balls, most notably by changing the finger placement on his curveball release. It’s a significant gamble for a pitch that has long been his best weapon, but it’s also the kind of overdue tweak that could help him avoid more lost time.
He got his first rehab appearance this week, and the line wasn’t pretty: three runs and five hits allowed over 4⅓ innings. Still, the new curveball gave the Reds something to watch. Lodolo threw it 15 times, got seven strikes, missed a bat once, and the pitch posted a Stuff+ score of 113, with 100 being average.
That matters because the curveball has been central to what makes him dangerous. From 2022-2025, opposing hitters didn’t put up an expected batting average against it above the Mendoza line, and even in 2026 it’s sitting at .253 xBA.
His return to Cincinnati is coming up fast, too. Lodolo is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox, which makes the curveball experiment worth monitoring right away.
There’s been talk about shifting him to the bullpen as a way to protect him, but that would mean removing a legitimate mid-rotation starter from the rotation. Last season, Lodolo delivered a 3.33 ERA over a career-high 156⅔ innings and cut his walk rate to a career-low 4.8%. That’s not the kind of arm you hide unless you absolutely have to.
If the new grip doesn’t hold up, or if the blister problems come back once he’s back in the big leagues, the Reds will have bigger decisions to make. For now, they’re hoping this change finally breaks the cycle.
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