The Cincinnati Reds kicked off their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 6-3 loss on Tuesday. Heading into the second game of the series, the Reds have their work cut out for them again. Cincinnati and manager Terry Francona have to face Shohei Ohtani. Luckily for the Reds manager, he welcomes Nick Lodolo back to the lineup, sending Graham Ashcraft to the injured list.
Lodolo has not pitched since August 4 thanks to a blister on his throwing hand. Francona and the Reds did not want to take any chances with the starter, sending him to the IL. After more than three weeks away, though, Lodolo is ready to see game action again. Cincinnati replaced an injured Ashcraft with Lodolo, sending the former to the IL, according to their social media page.
“The Reds today activated from the 15-day injured list LHP Nick Lodolo and placed on the 15-day injured list, retro to 8/25, RHP Graham Ashcraft (right forearm strain),” the Reds announced.
Lodolo's return gives Francona his first glimpse of a completely healthy starting rotation. Hunter Greene's return to Cincinnati's lineup has given his team some much-needed motivation. Now, Lodolo is back to take on Ohtani and build momentum that the Reds can use to make the playoffs.
While Greene was out with his injury, Lodolo was Francona's ace. His dominance on the mound is a big reason why Cincinnati was able to stay so close in the NL Wild Card race. Even without Ashcraft in the mix, the Reds are a popular dark horse pick when it comes to teams that could have an impact on the playoff picture this season.
Ashcraft will miss at least two weeks with his forearm strain. Despite that bad news, Cincinnati is excited to see what Lodolo can do in his return. If he comes back at the same level as when he left, the Reds could make things very interesting down the final stretch of the regular season.
