Nick Lodolo puts his tibia injury behind him, targets return on April 9

GOODYEAR, Ariz. –– When Cincinnati Reds Nick Lodolo threw his final pitch of two simulated innings on Wednesday, Reds infielder Jonathan India started cheering as he watched the ball travel to home plate.

Lodolo had to throw one more pitch to get his pitch count for the day up to 30, and India wasn’t swinging at this one. So India took the opportunity to appreciate the 6-foot-6 left-hander’s unique breaking ball.Lodolo released the ball.“Yep,” India said.

The ball started to spin as it approached the plate.

“Oh yeah,” India said.The breaking ball took a nosedive into the right-hand batter's box.“(Heck) yeah,” India shouted. He knew how much this step from Lodolo meant for the Reds’ 2024 season.

On Wednesday, Lodolo checked the final box in his rehab progression from a tibia injury that cost him most of the 2023 season and an injury that there was concern could linger into 2024. Coming off of a week where he got reevaluated by multiple specialists, Lodolo is now putting the injury behind him.

Lodolo cleared, will pitch in game March 10

“He’s clear,” Reds manager David Bell said on Thursday. “Hearing the doctors reassure him was very encouraging.”

Lodolo is scheduled to make his spring training debut on March 10 and continue to pitch every five days as he builds up his pitch count. Bell said that Lodolo “probably isn’t in the mix” to pitch in the first week of the regular season. But the Reds are targeting April 9 as a potential return date. While Lodolo may miss a regular season start, he’ll still have the chance to make 30-plus starts for the Reds in 2024.

Lodolo plays a critical role in the Reds’ plans for this season as a potential top-of-the-rotation pitcher. So when he pitched well on Wednesday, his teammates got excited as they watched from behind the fence.

Reds spring training news The Reds make first moves of the spring, assign 12 players to minors

Reds starting rotation A refreshed Andrew Abbott is ready to remind who he is when he’s at his best

“Nick is everything you look for in a pitcher,” Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott said. “When Nick is healthy, he’s arguably one of the best pitchers in the National League. Look at his makeup. He can throw it hard, he can throw it by you. He can spin it with the best of them.”

Last year, Lodolo was never fully healthy. Even in April, he said that he wasn’t 100%. “I was good enough,” Lodolo said.

When he was pitching last year, Lodolo wasn't able to extend as far off of the mound as he usually does. In two-strike counts, he wasn’t spinning his signature breaking ball like he usually does. Lodolo is at his best when he’s a strikeout pitcher, and he wasn’t finishing at-bats with the best versions of his pitches.

Lodolo started fast but ended up on IL in May

Still, over Lodolo’s first three regular season starts last year, he looked like he was on the verge of a breakout season. He posted a 2.12 ERA during that stretch before the injury wore him down, and he wasn’t even showing his full potential on the mound.

“We’ve all seen it,” Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson said. “When he’s healthy, he’s unbelievable.”

“There may not be anybody like him or better than him,” Bell said.

Lodolo landed on the injured list in early May and missed the rest of the 2023 season. He was able to pitch during the offseason, but his recovery after those throwing sessions showed that he wasn’t all the way back to 100% yet.

The story of this Reds spring training so far has been Lodolo’s progress. The Reds have been closely monitoring his recovery, and they’ve had him meet with multiple doctors to confirm that he was on the right track.

Lodolo’s two simulated innings on Wednesday were the biggest sign yet that he's moving in the right direction.

“I know that I can help us win,” Lodolo said. “I know how badly I want to be out there. When you’re hurt, you realize how much the game means to you and how much it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself. To get out there and win is something I want to do really bad.”

Lodolo has a rare style as a tall left-hander who throws with more of a sidearm motion than a true over-the-top delivery.  His sinker plays at the top of the strike zone as a pitch that gets weak contact and swings and misses.

Lodolo has added a changeup to arsenal

He’s one of the only pitchers in baseball who can get batters to swing and miss at a breaking ball that hits them in the foot. Lodolo worked on a changeup last offseason, and he built up confidence in that pitch right away.

“His arm angle is not a normal angle,” said Reds infielder Josh Harrison, who faced Lodolo last season and watched him pitch seven shutout innings. “Not knowing who he was when we faced him last year, he got our attention. Not too many guys throw from where he throws from. He attacks the zone. Guys that can attack the zone and have success like that are doing something right.”

When Lodolo faced live hitters on Wednesday, he admitted that he was pitching with a bit of an edge. After a year full of performances where his leg injury was on his mind, Lodolo let loose this time.

While he didn’t get his chance at a breakout season last year, Lodolo sees the opportunity ahead of him in 2024.

“I know what I can do,” Lodolo said. “It’s just a matter of doing it and repeating it. I’m focused on being healthy so when I’m out there, I can keep this going. I just can’t wait to compete. That’s the one thing I like to do.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Nick Lodolo puts tibia injury behind him, targets return on April 9