The strength of the Reds in last several seasons has been its starting rotation. The club has spent resources to bolster its offense and give skipper Terry Francona plenty of options in the outfield and infield. The bullpen was fortified to support that pitching staff.
The one thing Francona wasn’t counting on were injuries to its starters. Now, before a single pitch has been thrown in the 2026 season, Francona is being forced to deal with the unforeseen.
Hunter Greene will be out until July following arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips and loose bodies in his right elbow. Brady Singer apparently dodged a bullet following a minor blister-like issue on his right hand following a start on March 18. And then Sunday, just three batters into the final game in Arizona spring training action, Nick Lodolo, the scheduled start for Saturday’s second game of the season against Boston, left the game looking down at his left index finger, the same finger that gave him issues last season and forced him to miss several starts over three weeks.
“He had the blister. They popped it over in the training room and drained some of it,” Francona told reporters after Cincinnati’s 8-2 loss to Cleveland at Goodyear Ballpark. “We’ll take the next couple of days. Because of his history, we’re gonna have to see. There’s obviously some apprehension, so we’ll see.”
Lodolo said earlier in the spring that he had been working on ways this offseason to avoid blister issues from arising in the future.
“Overall, there’s a couple of things I’m doing but it’s hard to say,” Lodolo told me. “I’ve never had it this early. I wouldn’t expect to, either.”
Two pitches into his third at-bat, Lodolo looked down at his left index finger and didn’t throw another pitch. He was done after 10 pitches, only four strikes.
Lodolo is considered day-to-day, but his status for his scheduled regular-season debut on Saturday, March 28, remains uncertain while the team monitors how the blister heals.
If Lodolo has to start the season on the injured list, there exists the possibility that the “six-for-five” starter hybrid could be flexed into action sooner than anticipated. Brady Singer (assuming his start Monday in Milwaukee comes off without a hitch) could be moved up to Saturday. Singer said this week that his right finger is “fine” and “back to normal.” Then Brandon Williamson, the most impressive starter in spring could assume the No. 3 spot, with Rhett Lowder/Chase Burns following. The concern there is that Williamson is coming off Tommy John surgery and the Reds ideally want him to ease his way back.
The Reds have already made the decision to go with seven relievers instead of eight due to the fact that they would be carrying six starters into the season. The Lodolo injury could alter that.
The Reds bolstered their relief depth on March 4 by acquiring right-hander Kyle Nicolas from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Tyler Callihan. Nicolas brings a high-velocity four-seam fastball (averaging 98 mph) and a dominant curveball, though he struggled with a 4.74 ERA over 38 innings in 2025.
Despite his “back of the bullpen” potential, the Reds announced on March 18 that Nicolas will not make the Opening Day roster. Because Nicolas arrived late to camp following the World Baseball Classic and has limited spring innings, the team opted to option him to Triple-A Louisville.
The plan for Nicolas is to remain in Arizona for an “extended spring training” period to build up his arm before joining the active roster later in the season.
The final bullpen spot was awarded to lefty Sam Moll, who is out of minor-league options. But his performance this spring was worthy of a roster spot, regardless of his contract/roster status.
Veteran Addition: Nathaniel Lowe
One of the most notable late-spring developments was veteran first baseman Nathaniel Lowe earning a spot on the 26-man roster. After a difficult 2025 season where he was released by the Washington Nationals before a brief resurgence with the Red Sox, Lowe signed a minor-league deal with Cincinnati in mid-February.
Lowe forced the Reds’ hand with a standout spring performance, posting a 143 wRC+ in 15 games. His contract was selected on March 21, and he will earn a base salary of $1.75 million. While rookie Sal Stewart is the projected starter at first base, the left-handed Lowe provides critical depth and a high-caliber platoon option.
Roster Projection 4.0:
The assumption was that when Terry Francona called in Nathaniel Lowe and Sam Moll and informed them that they were on the roster, the roster was set for Opening Day. The blister to Nick Lodolo could very well change the pitching side of things.
Starting Pitchers (6):
LHP Andrew Abbott
LHP Nick Lodolo
LHP Brady Singer
RHP Rhett Lowder
LHP Brandon Williamson/Chase Burns
Keep an eye on either Julian Aguiar, Sam Benschoter or Chase Petty if the Reds decide they want to bring up an extra arm if Lodolo needs to spend time on the IL.
Relievers (7):
RHP Pierce Johnson
RHP Grant Ashcraft
LHP Brock Burke
LHP Sam Moll
RHP Tony Santillan
RHP Emilio Pagan
RHP Connor Phillips
Catchers (2):
Tyler Stephenson
Jose Trevino
Infielders (6):
1B/2B/DH Sal Stewart 2B Matt McLain, SS Elly De La Cruz, 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, DH/3B Eugenio Suarez, 1B Nathaniel Lowe
Outfielders (5):
CF TJ Friedl, RF Noelvi Marte, OF Spencer Steer, OF Will Benson, OF Dane Myers
