Reds activate Nick Lodolo along with a surprise roster call-up

The Cincinnati Reds activated Nick Lodolo from the 15-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox. The southpaw had been nursing a blister on his left index finger, and after just one rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville, Lodolo was declared good to go. He'll be on the mound for Cincinnati tonight in the Windy City.

But after optioning Ivan Johnson back to Triple-A earlier this week, Cincinnati had an extra vacancy on the club's active roster. On Tuesday, the Reds selected the contract of first baseman Michael Toglia from Triple-A Louisville.

Toglia has been crushing baseballs all season for the Louisville Bats, and the former Colorado Rockies slugger will now have a chance to prove that he's able to do it at the highest level. Toglia signed a minor-league deal with Cincinnati during the offseason, and with Nathaniel Lowe now off the roster, he'll have plenty of opportunities to find a home in the Reds' starting lineup.

Reds activate Nick Lodolo off the IL and add another position player

Lodolo will essentially be replacing Hunter Greene in the Reds rotation. The fireballer was placed on the 15-day IL last week after reporting soreness in his right elbow. The news became much more grim after further evaluations revealed Greene would require season-ending surgery, and on Tuesday, the club shifted him from the 15-day to the 60-day IL.

Lodolo has spent his fair share of the season on the injured list as well. The left-hander is coming off his second IL stint with the same injury. Lodolo was sidelined to begin the year after suffering a blister on his left index finger. He returned on May 8, but after just 12 starts and a 4.60 ERA, the former first-round pick was shelved once again.

During his time away, Lodolo is said to have changed the grip on his breaking ball. If this alteration allows the Reds' lefty to stay off the IL while still create plenty of swing and miss, fans will surely begin to ask what took so long.

With Lodolo and Toglia joining the Reds on Tuesday, Cincinnati needed to make one more roster move. Right-handed reliever Zach McCambley was optioned to Triple-A Louisville in order to free up the extra spot on the active roster.

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