Reds Beat: As Reds Wait For Rotation To Return To Full Strength, Nick Lodolo Served Best By Patience ‘Showing Up Day By Day, Being Ready To Roll’

NEW YORK — Nick Lodolo possesses a healthy reserve of patience.

He’s had to draw upon that reserve in the first three months, including a month of spring training in Arizona.

Lodolo earned his first victory of the season on Monday, anchoring a 7-2 triumph over the New York Mets at Citi Field. Supported by a resurgent offense fueled by home runs from Tyler Stephenson and JJ Bleday, Lodolo’s standout performance provided a masterclass in pitching adjustments and highlighted the complementary power depth the Reds need to sustain a competitive push in the NL Central.

Lodolo’s journey to his first win of 2026 was defined by patience and mechanical calibration. A blister on his left index finger sidelined him during spring training, delaying his regular-season debut until May 8. In his first three starts back against Houston, Washington and Philadelphia, the left-hander battled inconsistent command, navigating elevated pitch counts and uncharacteristic walks. Entering the matchup against the Mets, Lodolo carried a 7.20 ERA and a clear imperative to re-establish his signature control.

At Citi Field, Lodolo delivered his most controlled outing of the season. He pitched 6.0 innings, allowing just six hits and one earned run while striking out seven batters without issuing a single walk. Keeping his pitch count efficient at 98 pitches, he attacked the strike zone early, executing a balanced repertoire of four-seam fastballs, sinkers, changeups, and sharp breaking curveballs. Lodolo navigated high-leverage moments with poise. In the bottom of the fifth inning, after hitting Carson Benge with a pitch for the second time in the game and surrendering a single to Bo Bichette, Lodolo stranded two runners by striking out Mark Vientos on a 2-2 curveball.

“Definitely a lot better, for sure,” Lodolo said. “Definitely still some things I think I got to do a better job of, but overall happy with it.”

“Other than he hit their leadoff guy with two breaking balls that almost were behind him, he worked ahead, he threw a lot of strikes, he spun it, he had good velocity, threw some changeups. That was really welcome,” manager Terry Francona said.

Like many teams, the Reds have been hit by injuries to their pitching rotation and have had their depth severely tested. Hunter Greene threw his first side session on Tuesday in Arizona, going up to 20 pitches. Brandon Williamson had to shut down in early May with left shoulder fatigue. Rhett Lowder was sidelined with right shoulder soreness and is working his way back. He will throw a side session on Wednesday at Citi Field. Brady Singer is working through a slump that has seen him hit hard in his last three starts.

With Andrew Abbott coming into form and Chase Burns tossing another 5 1/3 strong innings Tuesday in New York, Lodolo becomes a crucial bridge to a competitive rotation in the middle third of the season.

Pitch Mix Evolution:
In his initial returns against the Astros, Nationals, and Phillies, Lodolo leaned aggressively on his four-seam fastball and curveball combo. This predictability left him vulnerable to opposing hitters digging in on his velocity. Against the Mets, he mixed in his sinker (20 pitches) and changeup (19) and it made a huge difference in keeping batters off balance throughout his six innings. The most significant strategic hurdle for Lodolo post-blister was restoring confidence in his breaking ball. Blister friction often reduces a pitcher’s feel for spin, which caused him to issue eight total walks over his previous two appearances.

The Mets did not break through until the bottom of the sixth, when Marcus Semien hit a lead-off solo home run on a 3-2 sinker. Lodolo immediately recovered, retiring the next three consecutive hitters to finish his outing with a quality start and put Cincinnati in a position to win and pick up his first win of 2026.

“I think for a lot of reasons (it was) good,” Francona said. “You don’t want to push guys too early, but once they’re starting to pitch, I think it’ll help him for when he gets into a jam next time where he doesn’t have to, he won’t run out of pitches or he won’t be tired too early.”

Lodolo has always been about taking steady steps and not so much overnight dramatic improvement. That is reflected in both his demeanor and approach. And it was apparent after his Monday outing at Citi Field, his fourth start back.

“We feel like we haven’t played our best ball yet, and we’re trying to put it all together here,” Lodolo said. “I think overall, nobody in here’s really looking where we’re at. I’ll be honest with you. So, I think it’s kind of just showing up day by day and being ready to roll.”

He got early offense from his lineup and that allowed him to relax and just throw the pitches Stephenson was calling.

The lineup broke the game open in the subsequent innings through power hitting from the middle of the order. In the top of the third inning, left fielder JJ Bleday hit a solo home run to right-field, marking his 7th home run of the season and extending the advantage to 3-0. Bleday’s longball maintained defensive pressure on the Mets and showcased his capability to hit for power away from Great American Ball Park.

The definitive blow arrived in the top of the fourth inning. After Spencer Steer drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single to extend the lead to 5-0, catcher Tyler Stephenson hit a two-run home run off McLean, clearing the outfield wall to make it 7-0. Stephenson’s fourth home run of the year capped a five-run frame that chased McLean after just 3 1/3 innings, cementing a comfortable margin for Lodolo and the bullpen.

The 7-2 win improved the Reds to a 28-25. After a strong 20-11 start to the regular season, Cincinnati had experienced an 8-14 slide over the preceding three weeks, making a decisive road victory crucial for stabilizing their momentum.

The integration of JJ Bleday—acquired via trade—into the outfield mix has added a necessary left-handed bat with durable plate coverage. Tyler Stephenson’s offensive resurgence behind the plate provides the interior power required to protect Elly De La Cruz in the batting order. Most importantly, Lodolo’s return to form reshapes the ceiling of Cincinnati’s starting rotation.

When healthy, Lodolo’s ability to generate high strikeout rates while limiting free passes complements frontline arms like Chase Burns, giving the Reds a pitching tandem capable of stopping losing streaks and neutralizing elite opposing lineups. Yes, it was the Mets. But still, the Reds need Lodolo pitching to form with confidence.

“I feel like it’s been trending the past in this direction the past couple times, and I know I think his last start, like he threw well,” Stephenson said. “There was just some walks and cleaned that up, obviously in between starts, and did a really, really good job (Monday), and the breaking ball is continuing to get better. So, yeah, he did, he did great job.”