Nick Lodolo of the Cincinnati Reds is expected to pitch in his first game of the season during the team’s upcoming visit to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Lodolo can take comfort in knowing that his shortstop, Elly De La Cruz, is performing well.
Elly De La Cruz’s Performance
De La Cruz hit a three-run homer in Friday’s game and has hit home runs in two consecutive games while also maintaining strong defensive play. He has a total of four home runs so far this season.
“We’re happy with what Elly is doing offensively and defensively,” Reds manager David Bell said. “We know he’s going to get better.”
Red’s Dominance vs. Sox
In the first game of the Red vs Sox series on Friday, Cincinnati dominated Chicago, winning by a score of 11-1. Moreover. the Reds had 12 hits and pitcher Andrew Abbott pitched seven strong innings.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Santiago Espinal, and De La Cruz each contributed with two hits and three RBIs, leading the Reds to their highest scoring game of the season.
Additionally, De La Cruz and Tyler Stephenson hit consecutive home runs in the third inning, helping Cincinnati score five runs in that inning.
Lodolo’s Comeback
The Reds will rely on Lodolo’s performance as he returns from a stress fracture in his left tibia that kept him out for much of the 2023 season.
He began the season playing for Triple-A Louisville and most recently pitched on Sunday. In 2022, he started 19 times, covering 103 1/3 innings as a rookie, but he only started seven times in 2023.
Injury Updates for Chicago
The positive news for Chicago on Friday was regarding the injured players Yoan Moncada (adductor strain), Luis Robert Jr. (hip flexor strain), and Eloy Jimenez (adductor strain) as the club reported good prognoses for their recoveries.
They project the expected recovery time for each player to be shorter than originally estimated, although they still anticipate Robert Jr. and Moncada to be sidelined for a significant amount of time.
“Obviously, it’s positive news, and we’ll take that,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz said. “Those are impactful players for our major League club. It’s better when they are out there than when they are not.”
White Sox’s Struggles and Hope
Opponents have held the White Sox to one run or fewer in seven of the 13 games this season. On Saturday, they’ll aim to lend support to their top pitcher to date.
Garrett Crochet, a left-handed pitcher with a record of 1-1 and a 2.00 ERA, has recorded 21 strikeouts in 18 innings so far this season.
In his most recent game against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, he allowed two runs and three hits in five innings, striking out five and walking none. Chicago is still being careful with Crochet, who transitioned from a reliever role and has dealt with injury issues at the beginning of his career.
“He’s got the makings of a big-time starter,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said. “Obviously, he was our Opening Day guy. Every time he goes out there and starts, we’re in uncharted territory. We have to be cognizant of that and careful in how much we push.”
Past Performances
Crochet has not allowed any earned runs in three previous games against the Reds, recording two strikeouts in a total of 2 1/3 innings.
Lodolo has a high 7.36 ERA in one past game against the White Sox, giving up three runs and six hits with one walk and three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings in a game that ended in a tie last May.
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