Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Rhett Lowder missed all of spring training and the month of April due to injury, but he’s now working his way back through a rehab assignment. He began with a start for the Arizona Complex League Reds on May 6, then progressed to a High-A outing with the Dayton Dragons last weekend. Following a rainout Friday night, Lowder took the mound Sunday afternoon for the Triple-A Louisville Bats in the first game of a doubleheader — and it turned out to be a rough outing.
Lowder started the bottom of the first by striking out Nick Gonzales on six pitches. He then issued a walk, and the next batter hit a comebacker that glanced off Lowder’s glove, resulting in an infield single. Jack Suwinski followed with a seven-pitch at-bat, launching the final pitch 424 feet for a three-run homer.
The struggles continued with two more weakly-hit singles that just eluded the infielders. Having thrown 29 pitches in the inning, Lowder was pulled — a standard precaution in rehab starts where pitch limits are enforced. Alan Busenitz entered in relief and quickly finished the inning, though one inherited runner scored. Lowder’s final line: 0.1 innings pitched, four hits, four earned runs, one walk, one strikeout, 29 pitches (17 strikes).
Despite the brief outing, Lowder was able to mix all his pitches — four-seamer, two-seamer, slider, and changeup — averaging 94.5 mph with his four-seamer and maxing out at 95.8 mph.
Statistically, his rehab appearances haven’t gone smoothly. In his Complex League start, he gave up two runs on four hits, including a home run, over three innings, though he struck out five without a walk. In Dayton, he surrendered four earned runs on five hits, a hit batter, and a walk in another three-inning stint, again recording five strikeouts. Altogether, Lowder has given up 13 hits and 10 earned runs in 6.1 innings across three rehab starts.
While rehab outings are primarily focused on health, pitch buildup, and mechanical refinement, Lowder’s continued struggles could potentially extend his rehab assignment longer than initially expected.
