RADIO
Nick Lodolo Worth a Waiver Addition for Strikeout Upside?
Cincinnati Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo has been pretty erratic for fantasy managers so far in 2026, going 2-2 with a 5.05 ERA (5.30 FIP) and 1.47 WHIP with 42 strikeouts and 22 walks in 51 2/3 innings across 10 starts while also continuing to deal with injuries. The former seventh overall pick in 2019 out of Texas Christian University has always intrigued fantasy managers because of his strikeout upside as a southpaw, but so far in 2026, he's sporting a career-low 18.2% strikeout rate and a career-high 9.5% walk rate. It wasn't pretty through his first eight starts for the Reds, as he allowed 29 earned runs on 51 hits (6.12 ERA) while walking 17 and striking out 32 in 42 2/3 innings pitched. But in his last two starts, Lodolo has thrown nine shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and five walks in two outings against the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. The 28-year-old lefty is by no means a slam dunk waiver-wire pickup, but he could have a third straight strong start in his upcoming matchup against a Baltimore Orioles team that has the fourth-most strikeouts in baseball this year. Lodolo is rostered in 66% of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
