What Reds prospect Nick Lodolo learned from spring trainings past

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – When Cincinnati Reds pitching prospect Nick Lodolo made his spring training debut in 2022, he was one strike away from finishing the second inning with three consecutive strikeouts.

On Friday against the Cleveland Guardians, Lodolo was facing his final hitter and threw a pitch that appeared to clip the outside corner. The umpire called the pitch a ball, so Lodolo had to go back to the mound and make one more pitch to finish his two-inning appearance.

He calmly went back into his motion, threw another strike three pitch and ended his spring debut with four strikeouts in two scoreless innings.

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Lodolo, a top-100 prospect who’s competing for a spot in the Reds rotation for the first time, still hasn’t pitched a regular season game in MLB. He still has thrown only three games in Triple-A. But his spring training experiences from the last three seasons helped prepare him for this moment.

“It’s pretty easy to put good players in situations,” Reds Manager David Bell said. “It’s more about if they’re ready to handle it. The good players usually are.”

Lodolo said he was more prepared for Friday’s appearance because of the six spring training games he has had under his belt before 2022. The Reds drafted Lodolo in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft. On March 10, 2020, less than a full year after he was drafted, Lodolo pitched in his first career big league spring training game.

Lodolo took the mound in a Reds uniform in spring training in 2020. At the time, he was a long way from the Reds rotation, but Lodolo benefited from the opportunity to briefly pitch at a higher level.

In that spring training game, Lodolo allowed a home run, which wasn’t how he wanted his big league spring training experience to begin.

“I learned a lot because I know I didn’t pitch that well,” Lodolo said. “ Now that I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and I know what to expect.”

Lodolo got another shot at Reds summer camp in 2020. As the big leaguers prepared for the delayed start to the season, Lodolo pitched in a scrimmage against the Detroit Tigers.

He allowed five hits and back-to-back homers. Then in 2021 spring training, Lodolo made four appearances in big league spring training games and allowed four earned runs.

“I think having that experience helps speed things up,” Bell said. “If they fail, they know how to handle it. If they have success, a lot of times it really gives confidence in a way you can’t always get if you’re not challenged.”

The lessons that Lodolo received were more important than the results. “You have to think about making that jump like that’s where you want to pitch,” Lodolo said. “You just learn to keep going and learn how to move on. That’s the level where you want to be, so you have to think about it like that.”

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In these games at a higher level, Lodolo said he realized that he needed to develop his cutter and his changeup. He worked on those pitches throughout the 2021 season in Double-A and Triple-A, where he posted a 2.31 ERA.

In 2022, Lodolo is fighting for a spot in the Reds rotation. Lodolo showed his progression on Friday against the Guardians.

He hit 95 mph with his fastball. Against the Guardians second batter of the first inning, Lodolo made Cleveland shortstop Amed Rosario chase a slider far outside the strike zone for strike three. Lodolo got a strikeout with his changeup in the second inning, building his case to make the Reds rotation in 2022.

“Every day I come in and handle my business,” Lodolo said. “Whatever happens at the end of the day happens, and hopefully I just put myself in the best position (for them) to make that choice.”

BACKUP SHORTSTOP: As prospect Jose Barrero misses time with a sore wrist, the Reds are looking for a backup shortstop in case Barrero doesn’t start the season on the big league roster.

The Reds have four candidates, but none of them have played much shortstop at the big league level. Utility infielders Donovan Solano and Alejo Lopez have mostly played second and third base in their careers. Minor league shortstop Miguel Hernandez hasn’t played above Double-A, and prospect Matt McLain hasn’t played above High-A.

“We don't have a lot of depth at that position,” Bell said. “We don't really have a true backup shortstop … Donovan's going to get a lot of work at short, Lopez is going to get a lot of work at short. We're going to see McLain a lot in spring training.”

NEW ADDITIONS: The Reds are continuing to add depth to their roster with relief pitcher Kyle Zimmer and outfielder Albert Almora Jr.

Zimmer, a 30-year-old right-hander, made his big league debut in 2019. In 2020, Zimmer posted a 1.57 ERA in 23 innings. In 2021, Zimmer had a 4.83 ERA across 54 innings. While the move wasn’t yet official on Sunday morning, Zimmer was with the team in camp.

Almora, 27, was the starting center fielder for the Cubs for a few years in the mid-2010s. At his peak between 2017 and 2018, Almora hit .291 while playing standout defense.

Since the start of the 2020 season, Almora has hit .134 in just 82 at-bats. As a right-handed hitter, Almora could compete for a platoon role on the Reds roster as a defensive minded player.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: For Cincinnati Reds prospect Nick Lodolo, spring training pays off