Reds pitching prospect Lowder suffers strained oblique during rehab outing

CINCINNATI – A big setback for Reds prospect Rhett Lowder during his rehab assignment could put the starting pitcher out for an even longer period of time.

Lowder was diagnosed with a left oblique strain after he exited his rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Thursday. He went for an MRI on Friday afternoon, and the results were still being looked over. But the early report wasn't good.

“It’s a fairly significant oblique [injury]. That’s all we have," Reds manager Terry Francona said. “I’m sure we’ll have a timeline coming up here pretty soon.”

Lowder, 23, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as Cincinnati's No. 2 prospect and No. 31 overall. The right-hander, who has been on the injured list with a right forearm strain since Spring Training, was making his fourth rehab start and his second for Louisville.

Against Gwinnett, Lowder threw a scoreless first inning and one pitch in the top of the second inning when he was hurt. He immediately walked off the field and to the clubhouse.

Lowder, who has yet to throw a pitch in a big league game this season, began his rehab assignment on May 6 with the Rookie-level ACL Reds before moving up to High-A Dayton on May 11. On May 17, he reached his one-inning pitch limit with 29 pitches and four runs allowed in only one-third of an inning during the bottom of the first against Indianapolis. He was pulled as a precaution and did the rest of his throwing in the bullpen.

The seventh overall pick in the 2023 Draft, Lowder made his big league debut late last season and was 2-2 with a 1.17 ERA in six starts. Beyond his physical troubles, the Reds' rotation depth has been tested by injuries to Hunter Greene (right groin strain), Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement) and, earlier this season, Andrew Abbott (left shoulder).

Abbott returned last month and Greene was activated to face the Cubs on Friday, when Spiers was transferred to the 60-day IL.