D-backs Lefty Eduardo Rodríguez to Return from IL against Reds

The Arizona Diamondbacks will be carrying a four-game win streak into Great American Ballpark over the weekend. Arizona will be taking on the Cincinnati Reds, a team that has enough talent to compete with anyone but has underwhelmed with a 30-33 record.

A series win would be absolutely essential for the Diamondbacks to stay within striking distance in the Wild Card race. They can put themselves in great position for that with a win in the series' first game. First pitch will be at 4:10 p.m. MST and the game will be broadcast on AppleTV+.

Pitching Matchups

The Diamondbacks will be welcoming back left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez from the injured list. Rodríguez is 1-3 with a 7.05 ERA in nine starts before going on the IL with left shoulder inflammation. Left-hander Tommy Henry, who pitched four innings in the team's come-from-behind win on Thursday, is likely going down to Reno as the corresponding roster move.

Rodríguez has been bad, to say the least. However, advanced metrics believe he's been a bit unlucky. His FIP and xERA sit at 4.28 and 4.37, which aren't great but are nearly three runs better than his ERA. He has solid strikeout (24.0%) and walk (8.5%) rates but has struggled with the long ball. He's given up 1.61 home runs per nine innings, something that needs to change.

It doesn't help that Great American Ballpark inflates home runs. Its three-year park factor of 128, which means it inflates home runs by 28%, is the highest in Major League Baseball. With a ballpark that punishes mistakes, it will be key for Rodríguez to be on point with his location.

The Reds have struggled to hit left-handed pitching. Collectively as a team, they're hitting .213 with a .634 OPS. Their 76 wRC+ means they're 24% worse than the league average against lefties, ranking 24th out of 30 teams. On paper, it could be a great matchup for Rodríguez.

The Reds will send their top left-handed starter Nick Lodolo to the mound. The former first rounder has battled injuries in his career, but is putting together a solid 2025 campaign. He's 4-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 12 starts.

What makes Lodolo a tough matchup is the angle. Statcast measures him at 15°, essentially a low three-quarter arm slot. He features a mid-90s fastball, a big sweeping curveball, a changeup, and a sinker, all mixed nearly equally. Because of the low arm slot, his pitches have a very horizontal-oriented movement profile.

The key for the Diamondbacks will be to attack the fastball up in the zone and not let Lodolo get to his curveball and changeup when ahead in the count. Opposing hitters are batting .294 and slugging .437 against his four-seamer and sinker. Against his secondary pitches, they're hitting just .190 with a .324 slug and 27.3% whiff rate.

Expect manager Torey Lovullo to load his lineup with right-handed bats. While Lodolo has reverse platoon splits in 2025, righties have hit him better in his career. Expect Tim Tawa and Randal Grichuk to be in the lineup at center field and designated hitter.

Lineups

This preview will be updated with lineups as soon as they're released

Bullpen

Shelby Miller has pitched in four of the last six days and Justin Martinez labored through a 37-pitch outing on Wednesday. Both pitchers might be available in emergency-only situations, but Lovullo may want to avoid those two unless necessary.

Cristian Mena will be available to pitch in long relief. He'll be on the normal four days' rest since his last outing and should be fully gassed up in case Rodríguez turns in a short start. The rest of Arizona's bullpen should also be available.

The Reds did not play on Thursday and only used two relievers on Wednesday. Left-hander Wade Miley might be the only unavailable reliever for Cincinnati after throwing 38 pitches in two innings.

Related Content

Diamondbacks Move on to Cincinnati for Three Against the Reds