ST. LOUIS – Cincinnati Reds Manager David Bell is expecting Michael Lorenzen to return after the MLB All-Star break.
Lorenzen, always the competitor, thinks that timetable is far too conservative.
“I think he’s being ultra-conservative, which is totally fine,” Lorenzen said. “I think that’s worst-case scenario. I’m personally anticipating being back by the very end of this month. That’s the way in my mind I have it mapped out.”
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Lorenzen will be in the bullpen whenever he returns to the big league roster. He was set to pitch out of the rotation at the end of the spring training, but he’s been sidelined all season with a right shoulder strain.
The move back to reliever will cost Lorenzen some more opportunities in a two-way role, but it speeds up his timeline to join the club because he doesn’t have to build up his innings.
“I told David it’s not ideal but there is no way getting around it,” Lorenzen said. “That’s what we need and that’s the quickest way of me getting back. I want to get back out on the field as fast as possible as well.
“It’s just something that you could sit around, sulk about it and think about everything that went wrong or, for me, the first thing that came up is that I’m going to be pitching in Major League Baseball games sooner.”
Lorenzen began throwing at the Reds’ spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona, last week. He will progress to 120 feet on flat ground Saturday. He will take a follow-up MRI early next week, which should clear him for pitching off the mound.
“I’m trying to be as patient as possible,” Lorenzen said. “Things are progressing really nicely. I’m feeling a lot better. Last week was my first real week of throwing. Everything is a little tight always in the first week, especially when you take six weeks off from throwing. This week has been a huge step forward with just everything loosening back up and my body opening back up and just the way the ball is coming out of my hands.”
Lorenzen, who will become a free agent at the conclusion of the season, could provide a major boost to the Reds bullpen. He had a 3.11 ERA in 81 innings in 2018, a 2.92 ERA in 83 ⅓ innings in 2019 and a 4.28 ERA across 33 ⅔ innings in 2020.
He’s watched a lot of games, but it’s difficult when the Reds are losing.
“It makes me feel terrible, personally, to be honest because I can’t do anything about it,” he said. “I want to help out. I think my role would help out tremendously if I was pitching. It’s not fun to watch and know that there is nothing I could do to help.
“It’s a really long season, so every single season is going to come with its own trials, with its own ups and downs. The guys that we have, I believe in to be able to ride it out the entire season, look back and I think we’ll be in a really good spot.”
Lorenzen was hopeful that he’d be ready for the start of the season despite a slight shoulder strain at the end of spring training, but he was surprised in mid-April when he received news that his shoulder injury had worsened.
“When I’m sitting in (Dr. Tim) Kremchek’s office and he saying this new MRI, it’s worse, that was tough,” Lorenzen said. “That was really tough. That was not what I was expecting at all.”
Lorenzen is in a lot better spirits now after he’s progressed in the last few weeks. He spoke with Bell on Wednesday after the Reds’ game was rained out.
“He just seems very motivated and determined to get back as soon as he can,” Bell said. “We spoke kind of officially about him coming back as a reliever. It just makes the most sense to get him back as quick as we can. We know how much he can help our team when he gets back. So, it’s no rush. We have to make sure that he’s fully ready to go, but he does seem to be getting closer, and having really good days.”
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