Don't overreact to Nick Lodolo's placement on the 60-day IL

While it was a bit of shock to see Nick Lodolo's injury designation change from the 10-day to the 60-day IL, the Cincinnati Reds pitcher is still on track to return soon.

I'll admit, I was taken off guard when the Reds transferred Lodolo to the 60-day IL in order to make room fro Donovan Solano on Cincinnati's 40-man roster. My immediate reaction was that of bewilderment, as the latest reports following his rehab start were very positive.

But after a moment of panic, it dawned on me that this was merely a procedural move on the part of the Cincinnati Reds front office. In all honesty, I give credit to Nick Krall and Reds brass for this shrewd but effective roster shuffle.

NIck Lodolo is still on track to return to the Reds roster very soon.

Nick Lodolo has been on the 10-day Injured List since April 25th with a back injury. The left-hander made his major league debut earlier this season and it looked as though he was just starting to figure things out at the big league level before the injury occurred.

In accordance with Major League Baseball rules, the placement of Lodolo on the 60-day IL (which opened up a spot on the 40-man roster) was retroactive to the pitcher's initial placement on the Injured List. This means that Lodolo is eligible to come off the IL later this week.

Lodolo has another rehab outing planned for this Thursday with Triple-A Louisville. In his previous rehab start, Lodolo went two innings, allowed four hits while walking one batter and striking out six. You'd have to imagine that his next outing will see the southpaw go deeper into the game.

Fans should assume it may be early-July or even after the All-Star break before Nick Lodolo returns to the Cincinnati Reds rotation. However, a potential trade or injury could force Cincinnati's hand and accelerate the need for Lodolo's return.