Nick Lodolo’s latest trend should end any Reds bullpen talk for good

Much like the idea of moving Elly De La Cruz to the outfield, the notion of shifting Nick Lodolo from the starting rotation to the Cincinnati Reds bullpen has been tossed about from time to time. Every time the southpaw lands on the IL with another blister, thoughts of reducing his workload float to the surface.

But a troubling statistic might have those same advocates rethinking their stance on such a drastic change. Not only would it remove one of the club's best arms (when healthy) from the rotation, but Lodolo's numbers against left-handed hitters are becoming quite concerning.

Traditionally, team's would oftentimes carry a LOOGY — Lefty One-Out Guy — in their bullpen. The three-batter minimum rule Major League Baseball implemented in 2020 has lessened that role quite a bit, but lefties that enter the game out of the bullpen are still expected to have success an opposing left-handed batter.

Nick Lodolo should stay in the Reds rotation heading into next season

Lodolo's numbers against lefty hitters since his debut in 2022 are quite stunning. During his first year in the bigs, the former first-round pick was one of the most dominant pitchers against left-handed batters. He allowed a meager .109 batting average against left-handed hitters during his rookie season. The .130 slugging percentage further suggests even when the opposition was able to get a hit off Lodolo, they weren't hitting the ball very hard.

But Lodolo's batting average against lefties has slowly increased, and his .346 BAA against left-handed bats in 2026 is truly alarming. This season, left-handed hitters own a .346/.429/.513 slash line against Lodolo. They've totalled 27 hits, including nine that have gone for extra bases. Last year's numbers weren't all that inspiring either. Opposing lefties touched up Lodolo to the tune of .297/.357/.422.

It's almost unheard of to find a left-handed pitcher who performs better against right-handed hitters, but that's exactly what Lodolo's done this season. Right-handed hitting opponents aren't being shy with a .270/.352/.500 slash line against the Reds' lefty, but that .852 OPS is, in fact, lower than the .942 OPS he owns when facing left-handed hitters.

Reds fans love to use the phrase, "The best ability is availability." And that's true. But while the idea of a reduction in innings pitched resulting in less stress on Lodolo's left index finger would theoretically minimize the likelihood of another blister, based on these numbers, Lodolo's reverse splits make a move to the bullpen less appealing.

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