The Haunting Reality of Reds Pitcher Nick Lodolo's Blister Issues

The Cincinnati Reds have finally seen Hunter Greene return to the mound in the Queen City, and it's been incredible to have him back atop the rotation. But with Greene back, the Reds lost Nick Lodolo to the injured list with an all-too-familiar blister issue.

Lodolo has missed time with blister issues over the last few years, and it's seemingly because of the way he holds and grips his breaking pitches.

This injury is going to have a huge impact on the Reds this season, whether they're trying to contend or trying to sell at the trade deadline.

The Impact of Nick Lodolo's Blister Issues

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Lodolo (40) delivers a pitch in the bullpen during spring training workouts, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, at the team s spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Lodolo had been pitching very well leading up to the blister issue. He tossed nine shutout innings across two starts against the Milwaukee Brewers to end June. Then, he made an impressive start against the Baltimore Orioles in July before tossing five innings of two-run baseball against the Chicago Cubs, before the blister popped up.

This blister issue could keep him out for a few weeks if the Reds can't figure it out. This puts major question marks around him as a trade asset for Cincinnati, if it were to opt to deal him away at the trade deadline. His trade value is not nearly as high as it should be without these nagging issues.

If the Reds wanted to keep Lodolo on the roster in an attempt to win in the short and long term, this injury impacts their ability to win games because of his inability to stay on the field.

My Personal Experience With Blisters

Before I was ever a writer, I was a pitcher. I pitched at the high school level before earning a spot on a Division III college roster. As a result, I have a bit of additional insight into blister issues because I experienced a blister on my middle finger throughout my career.

I had blister issues from the age of 14 through the end of my career at age 22. They were all caused by the way I gripped my curveball. Specifically, I would get a blood blister on the inside tip of my middle finger because of the pressure that I'd put on the ball through the tips of my fingers.

This issue didn't go away over time. It didn't callous over and go away. It lingered, and it nagged for eight years. But I was never comfortable throwing my breaking pitches in a different way because they were my best pitches.

But the haunting reality for Lodolo is that if his situation is similar to mine, which isn't known, it's not going to go away over time unless he alters the way he throws the pitches that cause it to happen. This could mean changing the grip, changing the pressure on the ball, or changing where the seams rub on his fingers at release. But at the end of the day, the breaking ball is Lodolo's bread and butter. It's the big reason that he's able to dominate. It's a tough ask to ask him to completely change the pitch that could make or break his career.

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