Reds Activate Promising Pitching Prospect Off 60-Day IL

After missing the last two-plus months with a back sprain, and multiple hiccups along the way, Cincinnati Reds top pitching prospect Nick Lodolo has finally been activated off the 60-day injured list. And lucky him, he gets to face Max Scherzer of the New York Mets tonight.

It's only his 4th start in the majors, but his second straight against a relative legendary hurler of the current generation.

In his last start, Lodolo faced Adam Wainwright, who had 359 more starts in MLB. The last Red to make back to back starts against pitchers with 350+ more big league starts was Keyvius Sampson, who faced Tim Hudson and then John Lackey in September, 2015.
— Joel Luckhaupt (@jluckhaupt) July 5, 2022

Per Reds expert Joel Luckhaupt, Lodolo is the first Reds' starter in seven years to face pitchers back-to-back with 350 or more major league starts. He faced Adam Wainwright his last time out, back in April.

Lodolo is a 6-foot-6, 24-year-old lefty, and was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2019 draft. He had a dominant minor league season in 2021, with a 1.84 ERA and 0.91 WHIP at Double-A, and combined with Triple-A, settled in with a 2.31 ERA and a mind-blowing 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

His first three starts in the majors, back in April, were a work in progress, as he compiled a 5.52 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP. But he was still missing bats, with an 11.7 K/9.