Lodolo hopes to make next start despite getting hit by 107.6 mph comebacker

CINCINNATI – The first hit Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo allowed in their 2-0 loss to the Brewers on Tuesday at Great American Ball Park was a painful one.

Facing Jackson Chourio to open the top of the fourth inning of a 0-0 game, Lodolo was struck on his pitching arm by a hard one-hopper. Lodolo grabbed his left wrist as the ball rested on the grass near the mound without a play. Chourio was credited with a single.

“My hand just went totally numb, because I was thinking about going to pick up the ball and I couldn’t feel my hand,” Lodolo said. “I’ve never been hit like that on the wrist.”

After the X-rays came back negative for a fracture, Lodolo was diagnosed with a left wrist contusion.

Chourio's comebacker had an exit velocity of 107.6 mph, according to Statcast. Head trainer Sean McQueeney and manager Terry Francona looked over Lodolo, who threw some warmup pitches before they decided that he would be able to continue.

Lodolo -- who had faced the minimum number of batters through three innings, with Blake Perkins as the only batter to reach on catcher's interference -- remained in the game but clearly labored. Brice Turang followed with a single that second baseman Edwin Arroyo couldn't play. With one out, Andrew Vaughn walked to load the bases.

Jake Bauers looked at a called third strike and Gary Sánchez flew out to center field to end a 32-pitch inning. How did Lodolo get through that inning?

“Honestly, I kind of just blacked out. I made some good pitches," he said.

Francona decided not to risk further injury to Lodolo and decided to take him out of the game after the fourth inning.

“Even before I left the mound, it was already turning black and blue," Francona said of Lodolo. "I gave him credit. He stayed in and wanted to stay in more. He probably had one inning left anyway because his pitch count was pretty elevated. He was getting stiff as he sat through our side of the inning. If he went out and hurt his shoulder or did something because of that, I would have had a really tough time.”

After the game, the Reds seemed hopeful that Lodolo avoided a more serious injury.

“I think Sean thinks as long as they can keep the swelling out of there and he doesn’t show up tomorrow in worse shape, he should be OK for his next start,” Francona said. “But we’ll certainly keep our eyes on it.”

Reliever Julian Garcia took over on the mound for Lodolo. It was the 31-year-old Garcia's Major League debut. He gave up a two-out walk to Vaughn before exiting, and was charged with the game's first run when Bauers hit a RBI triple to the right-field corner.

Lodolo, who gave up two hits over his four scoreless innings with one walk and six strikeouts, has a 5.59 ERA after nine starts. His season didn't begin until May 8 because a blister on his left index finger that developed at the end of Spring Training forced him to the injured list.

Although he's had a couple of good starts, Lodolo has yet to fully find a groove. During his previous start, a 9-1 loss to the Mets on Wednesday, he gave up a season-high seven runs and 11 hits over 4 2/3 innings.

On Tuesday, however, things were looking good until the comebacker from Chourio.

“I felt great," Lodolo said. "I had been working this week a lot with [coaches] Oscar [Marin] and [Matt] Tracy on some mechanical things to get back to where I want to be. And I felt like today was a step in the right direction with that. So we’ve just got to keep working on that and pick it back up.”

Lodolo was also hoping he would be able to take his next turn in the rotation.

“I would like to, if there’s nothing wrong with it other than just some swelling and stuff like that," Lodolo said. "I think the plan is to get that out of there and go from there.”