Nick Lodolo

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Lodolo attended Damien High School in La Verne, California, and played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher. As a senior, he had a 8–2 win–loss record with a 1.97 earned run average (ERA), striking out 83 batters in 65 innings pitched. After his senior year, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Lodolo with the 41st overall pick in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. However, he did not sign and instead chose to fulfill his commitment to attend Texas Christian University (TCU) and play college baseball for the TCU Horned Frogs. As a freshman at TCU in 2017, Lodolo appeared in 17 games (15 starts) where he compiled a 5–1 record with a 4.35 ERA. He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team as well as to the All-Freshman Team. In 2018, as a sophomore, he went 7–4 with a 4.32 ERA, striking out 93 batters in 77 innings over 16 games (15 starts) and was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team once again. Prior to the 2019 season, Lodolo was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Lodolo finished his junior season with a 6–6 record and a 2.36 ERA, striking out 131 in 103 innings. He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team. In his college career, he was 18–11 with a 3.55 ERA in 2582⁄3 innings, in which he struck out 296 batters. He was selected by the Cincinnati Reds with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. He signed for $5.43 million, and was assigned to the Billings Mustangs of the Rookie Advanced Pioneer League. After six starts with Billings, he was promoted to the Dayton Dragons of the Single-A Midwest League in July. Following two starts with Dayton, Lodolo reached his innings limit, and was shut down for the remainder of the year. Over eight starts between Billings and Dayton, he pitched to a 0–1 record with a 2.45 ERA, striking out 30 in 18+1⁄3 innings. Lodolo did not play a minor league game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To begin the 2021 season, he was assigned to the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Double-A South. He was named the league's Player of the Month in May after compiling a 1.01 ERA with 38 strikeouts and a 0.83 WHIP over 26+2⁄3 innings. On June 15, he was placed on the injured list due to a blister on a finger on his left hand, and was activated a few weeks later. That same month, Lodolo was selected to play in the All-Star Futures Game at Coors Field. Over ten

In Their Own Story

The turning point of Lodolo's career came during the 2025 season, where he defied the injury pattern that had sidelined him repeatedly. Entering the year as a top prospect recovering from a shoulder strain in 2023 and multiple issues in 2024, Lodolo delivered his most durable performance to date. On July 23, 2025, against the Washington Nationals, he executed a perfect game plan, walking no one while striking out batters to secure a 5–0 victory with his first career complete-game shutout. The season was not without hurdles; he missed approximately three weeks in August due to a left finger blister, yet still managed 29 games (28 starts). His journey continued into 2026, where he entered as the team's number two starter but immediately faced another setback, opening on the injured list with a blister from his final spring training start. He returned May 8 against the Houston Astros, though the debut ended in a 10–0 loss after allowing four earned runs over 5+1/3 innings.

Reader's Guide

Nick Lodolo is a left-handed pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, known for his strikeout ability and a history of blister and leg injuries. He was a first-round draft pick in 2019 out of TCU and made his MLB debut in 2022. His 2023 season was cut short by a stress reaction in his left tibia.

Did You Know?

• Lodolo was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 41st round of the 2016 MLB draft but did not sign, choosing to attend TCU instead.
• He led the major leagues in hit batsmen in 2022 with 19.
• Lodolo recorded his first career complete-game shutout on July 23, 2025, against the Washington Nationals.
• He was tied for the major league lead in complete games (2) and shutouts (1) in 2025.