Lodolo effective despite base traffic in Spring Training outing
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SURPRISE, Ariz. – For his second Spring Training start of 2026, Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo got plenty of opportunities to work from the stretch. While that's not often what a pitcher wants, Lodolo was able to turn it into a positive against the Royals on Saturday.
During a 6-2 Reds loss, Lodolo pitched three innings and faced two more batters in the fourth. Despite giving up six hits and two walks, he allowed just one earned run – on Jonathan India's leadoff home run in the first inning – and struck out four.
“I definitely had some traffic today," Lodolo said. "You don’t want it, but at the end of the day, I got good work out of the stretch today, for sure. That second inning took a lot out of me on building up the pitch count. But overall, I felt good.”
Kansas City opened the bottom of the second inning with a Kevin Newman double and an infield single by Elias Díaz, with a throwing error by third baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand putting both runners into scoring position. But Lodolo beared down and fanned Kyle Isbel with a sinker, then got Drew Waters to look at a curveball for strike three.
Lodolo fell into a 3-0 count against Tyler Tolbert, but battled back by throwing three straight sinkers for strikes and the inning-ending strikeout.
“I was not jumping ahead today by any means. I battled back into those counts, pretty much a lot, out of the stretch," Lodolo said.
Lodolo relied on his sinker for a large chunk (41 percent) of his pitches in the outing.
"I couldn’t get the ball to the away rail at all," he said. "I was trying to get it there but a lot of balls pulled [to the] middle and stuff. So I’ve been working on that.”
Lodolo gave up a leadoff single in the third inning, but got a Lane Thomas 6-4-3 double play before working around a two-out single and a walk. An infield hit and a walk opened the fourth inning, when manager Terry Francona took Lodolo out.
“He did OK. He got to 58 [pitches], which is good. He had to work a little bit but it wasn’t a crazy number. He’s starting to get stretched out," Francona said.
Under the spring setting, Francona didn't terribly mind seeing Lodolo have to wiggle out of danger.
“That’s a good thing because when the season starts, we can’t be rolling innings over and stuff," Francona said. "When they have to start pitching a little bit fatigued, that’s not the worst thing. Early on, you get nervous about it, but now we’re starting to get where their pitch counts are creeping up.”
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MRI for Dunn
Reds outfielder Blake Dunn was scheduled for an MRI exam on Saturday, one day after he hyperextended his left knee while playing center field against the Giants. The test was viewed more as a precautionary measure.
“I’m really hopeful he dodged a bullet. Saying that, for his peace of mind, we’re lining up an MRI," Francona said. “I think it’s a good thing. You’re asking a guy to go play hard and slide and dive. For him mentally, it’s the right thing to do.”
Pre-arbitration players signed
The Reds announced Saturday that they reached deals to sign all of their club-controlled, pre-arbitration-eligible players to one-year contracts. The signings included one renewal after shortstop Elly De La Cruz and the club could not come to terms on a deal.