Photo: Redleg Nation Staff
When it rains, it pours. Or at least that’s the saying. Just about nothing has gone right for the Cincinnati Reds over the last week and that continued on Thursday afternoon in Chicago. After struggling with control in the 3rd and 4th innings, Rhett Lowder walked two batters to begin the 4th and then threw a first pitch ball to the third batter before he got a visit from the trainer and manager Terry Francona. The conversation was back-and-forth for about a minute but at the end of it Lowder walked off of the mound and into the dugout.
In the 15 minutes from when Lowder had to exit the game and the inning he started came to an end the score had gone from a 1-0 to 8-0 to add insult to injury. Following the end of the 4th it was announced that the Reds right-handed starter left the game with right shoulder discomfort.
Cincinnati just send Chase Petty back to Triple-A after he made a spot start earlier this week in place of Brandon Williamson, who is now on the 60-day injured list with what is being called left shoulder fatigue. Nick Lodolo is due to make his first start of the year tomorrow for the Reds after missing the first six weeks of the regular season while dealing with a blister issue. Petty could very well be returning to rejoin the rotation if Lowder is going to have to miss time with this injury.
Update: 5:28pm
Manager Terry Francona noted in his postgame interview that Lowder wanted to remain in the game, but said he “felt some clicking up there”, which doesn’t sound great but he noted that he didn’t think it was a “terrible amount of discomfort”. Francona said they would get him an MRI in the morning and they would know more then.