How close is Reds RHP Rhett Lowder (shoulder) to returning from IL?
· Yahoo Sports
NEW YORK – After weeks of repeated injury drama, the Cincinnati Reds look like they might be on the verge of nearing full strength again.
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Less than a week after the returns from injuries of slugger Eugenio Suárez and reliever Caleb Ferguson, starting pitcher Rhett Lowder (shoulder) was scheduled to ramp up his throwing program with a full-speed simulated game before the final game of the Reds’ three-game series against the Mets in New York.
He’s to be evaluated after that two- or three-inning sim game to determine whether the next step is the start of a brief minor-league rehab assignment.
“Everything’s feeling good,” said Lowder, who hasn’t pitched since exiting his May 7 start with shoulder pain. “It’s been a lot of work, but I’m feeling good with where we’re at.”
If Lowder’s next step after Wednesday is rehab games, it might take only one or two starts, which could put his timeline for a return sometime in the middle of that St. Louis-San Diego road trip in less than two weeks, depending on each step.
“It shouldn’t be many,” Lowder said.
“We’re trying to give him as much as we can without going too far,” manager Terry Francona said. “And that’s always a little delicate. But he seems to be doing really good.”
That would mean having five of the Reds’ top six starters together in the rotation for the first time this season, before mid-June: also Chase Burns, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo and Brady Singer.
And ace Hunter Greene, who had bone chips removed from his elbow in March, travels to Cincinnati this weekend for a first look by the big-league staff since starting a throwing program Tuesday in Arizona. His timeline for a return sometime around the trade deadline hasn't changed.
Also, closer Emilio Pagán and backup catcher Jose Trevino – both of whom are on the IL with hamstring injuries – are scheduled for followup MRIs on Friday.
Francona said Pagán’s second MRI since suffering a long-term hamstring injury three weeks ago in Chicago is to evaluate the progress of the healing.
For Trevino, whose injury is less serious, the club plans to determine how much activity to allow Trevino to add to his rehab work.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Rhett Lowder injury update: How close is Reds pitcher to returning?