Reds pitcher Luis Castillo could return during the next homestand

Luis Castillo may have wrapped up his rehab stint after going 4.1 innings for the Louisville Bats in today's game versus the Indianapolis Indians.

Castillo threw 76 pitches, 46 of which went for strikes. The right-hander punched out seven Indian batters, allowed three hits, two walks, and no runs in his third rehab appearance of the spring.

The Cincinnati Reds desperately need need Luis Castillo back in the lineup, especially after optioning the struggling Reiver Sanmartin back to Triple-A earlier this week.

The Redlegs will need an additional starting pitcher for Saturday's double-header agains the Pittsburgh Pirates, but we're unlikely to see La Piedra return that soon. However, during the follow series against the Milwaukee Brewers, it's quite plausible that we'll see Castillo back on the bump for the Reds.

The Reds need Luis Castillo back in the rotation.

The Cincinnati Reds starting rotation is currently in shambles. As was mentioned earlier, Reiver Sanmartin has been sent back to Triple-A, Mike Minor is still on the IL, Hunter Greene's velocity is down, and Tyler Mahle can't seem to escape the fourth inning.

Nick Lodolo, whose last appearance was pretty darn good, is currently on the Injured List as well. However, the rookie had said he hoped to return to the rotation in time for the Reds next homestand.

The Reds roster has been flooded by injuries during the first month of the season, bu outside of maybe Jonathan India, Luis Castillo is he player this team misses the most. Castillo is the best pitcher on Cincinnati's roster, and there's bound to be little debate over that.

With Luis Castillo's impending return will also come the talk of an impending trade. Many fans and pundits are assuming that this will be Castillo's final year in the Queen City and that the front office will look to deal La Piedra before the trade deadline later this summer.

That's certainly a possibility, but it's all going to depend on what teams are willing to offer and whether or not the Cincinnati Reds prefer to wait until the offseason to discuss a potential trade. Regardless, the important thing is that Castillo should be back in the Reds rotation very soon; perhaps as soon as early next week.