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Cincinnati Reds pitcher Brandon Williamson has been placed on the injured list due to left shoulder fatigue, creating uncertainty in the team's starting rotation. The Reds are considering options for their fifth starter ahead of a game against the Chicago Cubs.
Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Brandon Williamson landed on the injured list with left shoulder fatigue, and the Redsā short-term plans for the starting rotation are in flux.
Terry Francona said the Redsā fifth starter right now is to-be-determined.
āWeāve got to see how we get there,ā Francona said. āWeāve got a lot of moving parts.ā
The fifth starter would slot in Monday for a game against the Chicago Cubs. Chase Petty, who is healthy in Triple-A following a short start on Wednesday, and long reliever Jose Franco are options to give the Reds length. They could also go with a bullpen game.
It helps that Nick Lodolo is trending toward a return. Heās set to make a rehab start on Saturday in Triple-A. In his most recent rehab outing, Lodolo pitched five innings. He was pitching with a cap on how many breaking balls heād throw, as thatās the pitch that has aggravated his blister issue in the past.
Lodolo had a blister pop up in spring training and suffered a setback on a rehab start in early April. He has yet to make his season debut, but heās making good progress.
Williamson has dealt with shoulder issues in 2022, 2024 and now again in 2026. On Thursday, he received a cortisone shot.
āHeāll go on a shoulder program, range of motion, strength, all of that stuff,ā Francona said. āStructurally, he came back good. Thatās good.ā
Williamson has barely pitched since the 2023 season. In 2024, he missed most of the year with a shoulder injury. In 2025, he missed the year after having Tommy John surgery.
Itās not easy to step back in after missing so much time.
āIām to the point where Iām catching up to a lot of not playing for so long,ā Williamson said. āYou really grind through it. Itās caught up to me a bit. Iām trying to figure it out.ā
Francona has a similar perspective on Williamsonās setback.
āWhen it does happen, I donāt think itās out of the ordinary,ā Francona said. āWhen he made the club, he pitched so well this spring, we were all concerned that itās going to be (starting) every five or six days, and there would be some hiccups.ā
Williamson has a 6.11 ERA in six starts this season. Walks have been the issue, they were defining part of his struggles in Wednesdayās 13-2 loss to the . Williamsonās 20 walks are the most allowed in the National League.
Brandon Williamson was placed on the injured list due to left shoulder fatigue.
Chase Petty and long reliever Jose Franco are potential candidates to replace Williamson, or the Reds may opt for a bullpen game.
Nick Lodolo is set to make a rehab start on Saturday in Triple-A, indicating he is trending toward a return to the Reds' rotation.
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With time for the shoulder to recover, the Reds and Williamson hope that he can find some more consistency when he returns.