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Unavoidable last-second roster shuffle upends Reds' rotation plans vs. Orioles

Don't worry, this is a good thing.
Drew Koch
Drew Koch

Blog Red Machine

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Lodolo / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

The Cincinnati Reds will be without starter Nick Lodolo for the upcoming series against the Baltimore Orioles. Take a deep breath, Reds fans. He's not headed to the injured list. Lodolo is going to become a dad. The Reds lefty was placed on the paternity list ahead of Friday's game against the Orioles and the Reds recalled right-handed pitcher Carson Spiers to take Lodolo's spot on the active roster.

Lodolo was scheduled to face the Orioles on Sunday, but it's now safe assume that Spiers will get the nod with Andrew Abbott and Hunter Greene starting Games 1 and 2 of the upcoming series, respectfully.

Lodolo's previous outing was his worst of the season. The southpaw went just 4 ⅔ innings of work while striking out six, but the Seattle Mariners—and specifically Dylan Moore—absolutely teed off on Lodolo. He surrendered four runs on five walks and walked one.

Reds starter Nick Lodolo placed on paternity list, Cincy activates Carson Spiers

Spiers enjoyed an outstanding start to the 2025 season. With Abbott and Rhett Lowder sidelined due to injury, Spiers made the Reds Opening Day roster and was named Cincinnati's fifth starter. On April 1 against the Texas Rangers, Spiers went six strong while allowing just one run on three hits while punching out five. Spiers was the hard-luck loser in that game, as Cincinnati's offense—like it has so many times already this season—failed to make an impact.

Spiers couldn't duplicate that performance his next time out, however, and after only logging 3 ⅓ innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 6, the right-hander was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. A few days later, Cincinnati activated Abbott from the IL to take Spiers' spot in the starting rotation. For his career, Spiers is 5-10 with a 5.58 ERA.

Congratulations are in order for Lodolo and his wife Brooke. This will be their first child, and Lodolo mentioned during an appearance on the Jim Day Podcast that the couple are expecting a baby boy. Once placed on the paternity list, a player may miss between 1-3 games, so Reds fans should expect to see Lodolo back on the bump for his next start.

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Drew Koch

Drew Koch

Drew Koch has been an MLB Staff Writer since January 2024 and part of the FanSided Network since June 2018. Drew's contributions have been published on Blog Red Machine, Friars on Base, BoSox Injection, Lombardi Avenue, Wildcat Blue Nation, Motor City Bengals, and many other sites within the FanSided Network. When he's not cheering wildly for the Cincinnati Reds or the Kentucky Wildcats, Drew enjoys fishing, golfing, playing cribbage and other card games, listening to country and classical music, and spending time with his family and friends.