Of course, there will be a lot of attention focused on Cincinnati’s No. 1 prospect, Hunter Greene, when he makes his Major League debut Sunday vs. the Braves. In a short amount of time, Reds fans will want to take note of another important debut coming Wednesday -- this one at home -- vs. the Guardians.
That's when Cincinnati’s No. 2 prospect, left-handed starting pitcher Nick Lodolo, is scheduled to make his big league debut.
“I’m excited. Ever since you’re a kid, it’s what you dream of,” said Lodolo, who MLB Pipeline has ranked at No. 42 overall. “Now it’s living that dream and everything. It will be cool that it’s in Cincy. I can’t really put it into words yet until it happens.”
Lodolo, 24, isn’t officially on the Reds’ 28-man roster yet. But he is on the taxi squad for the road trip and has been preparing -- including throwing a simulated game at Truist Park on Friday. He will officially be added to the active and 40-man roster ahead of Wednesday’s start.
The Reds selected the 6-foot-6 Lodolo seventh overall in the 2019 MLB Draft out of TCU, and he’s moved up quickly through the organization.
Lodolo was 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 13 starts combined last season for Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville. His season was marred by blister issues on his pitching hand, and he was limited to three starts at Louisville because of a left shoulder sprain. However, he was healthy throughout the offseason and performed well at the club’s early Minor League camp.
During big league camp, Lodolo had a 2.38 ERA in four games -- including three starts.
“I was happy with how my camp went,” Lodolo said. “I felt good, healthy and a lot stronger. I’m excited to get rolling.”
As often happens, Lodolo will have a lot of in-person support at Great American Ball Park when he debuts. The Southern California native estimated he would be leaving more than 20 tickets for family and friends.
“Everybody -- family, grandma, cousins, aunt and uncle. I have a couple of buddies coming in, my girlfriend and her family, my parents, my brother -- everybody,” Lodolo said.