The Cincinnati Reds' pitching staff has taken another hit, as rookie right-hander Rhett Lowder becomes the latest arm headed to the injured list. While the move hadn't been officially posted as of Friday morning, manager Terry Francona confirmed to reporters that the 23-year-old will land on the 15-day IL.

The decision came after team officials checked on Lowder following some long tossing before Thursday's game at Great American Ball Park. This followed a troubling outing on May 7, when he was pulled from his start against the Chicago Cubs due to what the team described as shoulder discomfort. Just days earlier, on May 2, Lowder had been shelled by the Pittsburgh Pirates, surrendering eight runs in fewer than two innings.

"It's not been done yet, but our thought was we're trying not to put a Band-Aid on something," Francona said. "We want this kid to be able to pitch, and pitch for a long time and not get interrupted. So hopefully a couple weeks down will do him a world of good."

Francona noted that Lowder can still throw during his IL stint, though it likely won't be off a mound in the short term. For a team already navigating a wave of injuries, this latest setback adds to an already crowded training room.

The biggest positive on the pitching front came earlier in the week, when Nick Lodolo returned to the mound for Wednesday's series opener against the Houston Astros. While the outing was seen as a solid starting point, Lodolo allowed four runs—all on two pitches that resulted in a pair of two-run homers for Houston. Still, having him back in the rotation provides a much-needed boost.

But just as Lodolo rejoined the fold, Lowder exited. That leaves the Reds with three starters sidelined for the foreseeable future. Staff ace Hunter Greene remains months away from returning from March elbow surgery, and No. 5 starter Brandon Williamson is on the 60-day IL. Another turn through the rotation began Friday, with Opening Day starter Andrew Abbott taking the mound for Cincinnati.

Brady Singer, who opened the season as the No. 2 starter but was projected as the No. 4 before injuries to Greene and Lodolo, will be counted on to help steady a rotation that's been stretched thin. For Reds fans, the hope is that Lowder's IL stint is a short-term pause, not a long-term problem—and that the team can patch things together until reinforcements arrive.