Lodolo appears to be the leading candidate to start the Reds' sixth game of the season April 13 against the Guardians in Cincinnati, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
While addressing the media Wednesday, manager David Bell laid out his pitching plans for the start of the season. With both Luis Castillo (shoulder) and Mike Minor (shoulder) opening the year on the injured list, the skipper said that Tyler Mahle will get the Opening Day nod April 7 in Atlanta, while Reiver Sanmartin, Vladimir Gutierrez and Hunter Greene will follow Mahle in succession for the remaining three games of the series. After an off day April 11, Mahle will start the Reds' home opener a day later against Cleveland, but Bell is leaving the door open for a fifth starter to enter the mix April 13. Since neither Castillo nor Minor will be available by then, Lodolo looks like the most logical choice for the fifth and final spot in the rotation, assuming the Reds elect not to play service-time games with him. How long he sticks in Cincinnati's rotation will likely be dictated by how he performs in his initial big-league action, but Lodolo's dominance in the upper levels of the minors in 2021 provides reason to be optimistic that he'll find success. Over 13 starts between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville, the 6-foot-6 lefty turned in a 2.31 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 78:11 K:BB across 50.2 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .207 average.