Lucas Sims

Reds’ Luke Weaver, Lucas Sims Expected To Open Season On Injured List

By Anthony Franco | March 23, 2023 at 8:03pm CDT

The Reds are likely to be without two important pitchers early in the season. Manager David Bell informed the media yesterday that fourth starter Luke Weaver and presumptive high-leverage reliever Lucas Sims are each likely to open the year on the 15-day injured list (via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com).

Weaver experienced some forearm discomfort last week. The Reds don’t seem overly concerned — he’s already progressed to throwing a bullpen session after a brief rest period — but the issue has thrown his Spring Training off enough he’ll require some time during the season to build up. Weaver has pitched three times this spring but only made it through 5 2/3 combined innings.

Signed to a one-year, $2MM deal this offseason after being non-tendered by the Mariners, Weaver entered camp as the #4 rotation option behind Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft. The righty worked almost exclusively out of relief last season, tossing 35 1/3 frames in 26 appearances. He’d been a starter throughout his career until then. The Reds will give him a chance in his initial role after his season-opening IL stay. Considering he hasn’t topped 100 innings in a year since 2018, the injury could naturally manage workload concerns that might’ve arisen later in the season anyhow.

In the short term, it’ll vacate a second rotation spot for a handful of pitchers still battling for MLB jobs. The final two spots figure to go to some combination of Luis Cessa, Connor Overton, prospect Brandon Williamson, or a non-roster veteran like Chase Anderson. Overton and Williamson have gotten hit hard in Spring Training, while Cessa and Anderson haven’t logged many innings in camp. Anderson initially began in minor league camp and was only added to the MLB side a couple weeks ago. Cessa left the club for a few weeks to represent Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. The Reds could have to make the decision on Anderson’s role in the next 48 hours; he’s one of a handful of veterans who has an automatic opt-out chance this Saturday if he’s not added to the big league roster.

Sims, meanwhile, is dealing with back spasms that necessitated a temporary shutdown. He’s also back throwing again. The right-hander has had a tough Spring Training, surrendering ten runs in five innings. That’s on the heels of a 2022 campaign almost completely lost to a disc herniation in his back that required surgery. Between his on-field rust and the injury history, there’s obvious reason for the Reds to be cautious.

Two seasons ago, Sims emerged as a high-leverage reliever with a massive 39% strikeout rate over 47 innings. He’s among the higher-upside options in a thin bullpen if he can get healthy. Sims has two remaining seasons of arbitration control and could be one of the Reds’ more interesting deadline trade candidates should he find his pre-surgery form.

Reds Notes: Antone, Santillan, Senzel

By Anthony Franco | February 14, 2023 at 9:32pm CDT

Reds reliever Tejay Antone announced last week he’d miss the start of the season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address a flexor strain in his forearm. He didn’t provide many more specifics but implied he could be sidelined by the All-Star Break. While that’s potentially still on the table, manager David Bell only indicated today that Antone would be out at least through the end of April (via Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer).

Antone’s coming off a lost 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery towards the tail end of the ’21 campaign. That was the second such procedure of his career, with injuries conspiring to rob the Reds of arguably their best reliever. Before his surgery, the former fifth-round draftee had pitched 33 2/3 innings of 2.14 ERA ball with a 32.8% strikeout rate.

Getting him back as quickly as possible will be crucial for a Cincinnati club that didn’t make any MLB additions to its bullpen this offseason. The Reds’ relief corps was a bottom ten unit by both ERA and strikeout/walk rate differential last season. The expected returns of Antone and Lucas Sims from surgery rehabs would’ve reinstalled a pair of high-leverage options. Sims is on track for full spring participation, Bell informed reporters today, but Antone’s loss subtracts one of the highest-upside hurlers from the mix.

Cincinnati might also be without Tony Santillan to start the season, Bell indicated. The 6’3″ righty didn’t pitch in last year’s second half on account of a lower back injury. That apparently carried into his offseason, and Santillan is behind schedule in his throwing program. A former second-round pick and once one of the more intriguing pitching prospects in the Reds’ system, he’s settled in as a reliever at the MLB level. Santillan came out of the bullpen 21 times last year, allowing 14 runs in 19 2/3 innings.

In more fortunate health news, center fielder Nick Senzel appears to be mostly ready to go for camp. The 27-year-old told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic he feels good and has recovered from offseason toe surgery (Twitter link). While he indicated he might be built up a little more slowly than most players, it seems he’s on track for Opening Day. Senzel still looks the favorite for regular center field reps, though the Reds added a potential alternative with the acquisition of Will Benson from the Guardians last week. A former second overall pick, Senzel will be looking for a breakout year after hitting .240/.303/.360 through his first 273 MLB games.

Lucas Sims To Undergo Season-Ending Back Surgery

By Anthony Franco | July 1, 2022 at 8:08pm CDT

Reds reliever Lucas Sims will undergo surgery next week to repair a herniated disc in his back, he tells Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He’ll miss the rest of the 2022 season. The 28-year-old expressed confidence he’ll have a relatively normal offseason and be ready for Spring Training next year.

Sims has been dogged by back issues virtually all year. He opened the season on the injured list and missed the first two weeks. The right-hander was reinstated in late April and made six appearances, but he was tagged for seven runs in 6 2/3 innings. Cincinnati placed Sims on the IL again in mid-May, and he was transferred to the 60-day version last month. He’ll remain on the IL all year but will have to be reinstated to the 40-man roster at the start of the offseason.

It’s a virtually lost season for Sims, who’d shown flashes of emerging as a high-leverage arm in the preceding two years. A former first-round pick of the Braves, he struggled to throw strikes as a starter but looked to have a found a home in the bullpen by 2020. During the abbreviated season, Sims posted a 2.45 ERA across 25 2/3 innings. He punched out a third of batters faced, and manager David Bell increasingly used him in key situations the following year.

Sims even spent some time as the Cincinnati closer in 2021, collecting seven saves. He watched his ERA spike to 4.40 through 47 innings, but that belied excellent secondary numbers. Sims was one of the game’s top strikeout arms, fanning nearly 40% of opponents while generating swinging strikes on almost 15% of his offerings.

The Reds and Sims failed to come to an agreement on an arbitration salary over the winter, and the sides went to an in-season hearing. The team emerged victorious, with the arbitrator setting Sims’ salary at the club’s proposed $1.2MM mark. (Sims’ camp had been seeking $1.6MM). With virtually nothing to show in terms of 2022 performance, he’d command an identical or marginally higher salary if tendered a contract for 2023. Sims will collect his salary and a full year of MLB service while rehabbing, pushing him past the four-year service threshold. He’s controllable through 2024.

Lucas Sims Loses Arbitration Case

By Anthony Franco | June 10, 2022 at 11:58am CDT

The Reds beat reliever Lucas Sims in arbitration, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Sims will be paid at the team’s filing rate of $1.2MM this season; he’d been seeking a $1.6MM salary.

A former first-round pick of the Braves, Sims struggled as a starting pitcher during his rookie season in 2017. Atlanta dealt him to Cincinnati at the 2018 deadline, and he’s since worked primarily out of the bullpen. He was bounced on and off the big league roster through 2019 but emerged as a high-leverage option during the shortened 2020 season. Sims posted a 2.45 ERA while striking out a third of opponents through 25 2/3 innings that year.

The right-hander struck out an even more impressive 39% of batters faced last season. He also collected the first seven saves of his career and held nine leads, but 37% of the baserunners he allowed came around to score and he served up 4.40 earned runs per nine innings.

This year’s arbitration process is anomalous because of the lockout, which froze offseason business for more than three months. The delay forced unsettled arb cases to be resolved in-season, as logistical hurdles prevented them from being handled during the customary February and March time period. Nevertheless, the hearings are to be decided based on players’ pre-2022 bodies of work, so Sims’ performance this year should not have been a factor in the result.

There would not have been much to go on in Sims’ case anyhow, as he’s been limited to six appearances by injury. Back spasms have hampered him for a few months, and he’s spent the past four weeks on the 15-day IL. He struggled during his limited look on the active roster, seemingly impacted by the back issue.

This was Sims’ first season of arbitration-eligibility. He’ll be eligible twice more before first qualifying for free agency after the 2024 season, assuming the team continues to tender him contracts.

Reds Place Lucas Sims On Injured List, Select Robert Dugger

By Anthony Franco | May 12, 2022 at 1:04pm CDT

The Reds announced a series of moves in their bullpen before tonight’s game in Pittsburgh. Lucas Sims has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to yesterday, due to lower back spasms. Cincinnati selected Robert Dugger to take his spot on the roster. The Reds also optioned Dauri Moreta to Triple-A Louisville and recalled Jared Solomon.

Sims heads to the IL for the second time this year. The right-hander missed the first two weeks of the season after back spasms delayed his Spring Training ramp-up work. He made it back for six games in between the IL stints but looked out of sorts. Sims has allowed seven runs, walked six batters and struck out just five during 6 2/3 frames of work. Last season’s 4.40 ERA across 47 frames wasn’t great, but he punched out an elite 39% of opponents on a hefty 14.8% swinging strike rate.

This year, the 28-year-old’s swing-and-miss numbers are way down. That’s also true of his velocity, with his fastball, slider and curveball all losing a tick or two relative to last season. It certainly seems as if he’s yet to get completely right physically, and a new bout of back spasms will keep him out for at least the next two weeks.

Dugger returns to the majors just four days after being designated for assignment. The righty cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Louisville yesterday. He didn’t appear in a game for the Bats before quickly being called back up. Cincinnati never filled Dugger’s 40-man roster spot after designating him and also removed COVID substitute Ronnie Dawson from the roster earlier this week; their 40-man tally now sits at 39.

During his first MLB stint with the Reds, Dugger made just one appearance. He soaked up three innings of relief, but that workload knocked him out of commission for a few days. Because he’s out of minor league option years, the Reds then removed him from the 40-man to clear an active roster spot. That was the second time he’d found himself in that situation, as the Rays also DFA Dugger following one extended relief outing. He’ll again have to stick in the majors or be exposed to waivers now that he’s back in the big leagues.

NL Central Notes: Happ, Cardinals, Sims, Solano, Castillo, Minor

By Mark Polishuk | April 9, 2022 at 11:08pm CDT

Cubs left fielder Ian Happ was removed from today’s 9-0 win over the Brewers after being hit in the left kneecap by a Trevor Gott pitch during the seventh inning. X-rays were negative, as Happ told NBC Sports Chicago’s Tim Stebbins and other reporters after the game. “It’s going to be pretty stiff [Sunday], I’m sure, but right now it’s not too bad,” Happ said. It would seem as if Happ is questionable for tomorrow’s lineup, and since the Cubs don’t play on Monday, Happ has some more time to heal up and receive further treatment to determine if an IL trip could be necessary.

The Cubs/Brewers series has thus far seen seven batters hit by pitches over two games, which has some a frequent occurrence in recent meetings between the two division rivals. The result was a skirmish that saw both benches and bullpens empty after Andrew McCutchen was hit by a Keegan Thompson pitch in the eighth inning, but ultimately nothing but harsh words were exchanged.

Injury Notes: Urias, Sims, Glasnow, Dobnak

By Mark Polishuk | March 20, 2022 at 11:03pm CDT

After suffering a left quad strain in yesterday’s Spring Training game, Luis Urias is facing at least a two-week layoff and is “questionable” for Opening Day, Brewers manager Craig Counsell told The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters. Even if Urias does miss only 14 days, that won’t leave much time for Urias to ramp up to play in the Brew Crew’s first game on April 7, and even the two-week timeline is just a projection since Counsell noted that Urias will still get more tests.

While it doesn’t seem like Urias is facing too long a layoff, the Brewers will probably have to turn to their bench depth early to fill in for their starting third baseman. Milwaukee has multiple third base options but not really a true backup shortstop, as Urias was also seen as the top candidate to play short if Willy Adames needed a breather. If not Pablo Reyes (who only has a few career games as a shortstop), top prospect Brice Turang hasn’t yet made his MLB debut, and the Brewers probably don’t want to start his service clock until such limited circumstances.

More on other injury situations from around the Show…

Reds righty Lucas Sims won’t be on the team’s Opening Day roster since he more time to build up his arm, Sims and manager David Bell told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon). Sims is healthy now, but is behind schedule since illness and back spasms interrupted his usual offseason work. “We can re-assess later but [first] make sure the build-up is done right and then we don’t rush into something and have a big deal,” Sims said. The absence could allow for other pitchers to step up into the closer void, as Sims has been favored as Cincinnati’s top choice for the ninth inning this season, assuming the Reds indeed have a set closer. The 27-year-old Sims moved to full-time relief work in 2019, and he has a 4.05 ERA and 35.2% strikeout rate in 115 2/3 innings over the last three seasons, though control and home runs have been issues.
Tyler Glasnow won’t throw for 2-3 weeks after undergoing an arthroscopic ankle surgery on Friday, according to Rays broadcaster Neil Solondz (Twitter link). The procedure removed some loose bodies from Glasnow’s right ankle. While the procedure seems minor, the delay to Glasnow’s rehab from Tommy John surgery could end whatever hope the righty had of pitching in the 2022 season. Glasnow underwent his Tommy John surgery last August, thus giving him a narrow window to return this season if he hit the low end of the usual 12-15 month TJ recovery timeline.
The Twins have shut down Randy Dobnak due to continued soreness in the right-hander’s middle finger on his throwing hand, MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park writes. It isn’t known how long Dobnak will be sidelined, though it appears as though he won’t be on the Opening Day roster. Dobnak initially sprained his finger back in late June, and then pitched in only one game the rest of the season due to a pair of 60-day IL placements. Even prior to the finger problems, Dobnak was already struggling through a rough year, and finished with a 7.64 ERA over 50 2/3 innings.

Reds Activate Lucas Sims, Place Brad Brach On IL

By Darragh McDonald | August 8, 2021 at 10:36am CDT

The Reds have activated Lucas Sims from the IL, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Brad Brach will be heading the other direction in a corresponding move, going on the IL with a shoulder impingement.

Sims has been out since late June with an elbow sprain. At the time, it was expected that he would miss about a month, a timeline that proved to be just a tad optimistic. The 27-year-old has been an important member of a Reds bullpen that has been a source of frustration for the club this year. His 5.02 ERA looks high but all the advanced metrics like him better. (3.26 xERA, 3.45 FIP, 3.75 xFIP, 3.19 SIERA) This optimism is borne out by his excellent strikeout rate of 34.9%, although his walk rate is a bit high at 11.9%.

As for Brach, a timeline for his injury is unknown. But a shoulder issue is always worrisome for a pitcher. The 35-year-old has thrown 29 innings for the Reds this year, with a 5.59 ERA, strikeout rate of 24.1% and walk rate of 12.8%.

NL Injury Notes: d’Arnaud, Ynoa, Flaherty, Mikolas, Sims, Antone, Senzel

By Mark Polishuk | August 7, 2021 at 8:52pm CDT

The Braves are planning to activate Travis d’Arnaud from the 60-day injured list this week, possibly on Tuesday when the team begins a series with the Reds. Manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that d’Arnaud is slated to catch all nine innings of a minor league rehab game tomorrow, representing a final step in his recovery from surgery to repair a thumb ligament. A Silver Slugger winner in 2020, d’Arnaud hasn’t played since May 1 of this season, contributing to Atlanta’s near-total dearth of production from the catcher position.

Huascar Ynoa is also working his way back from a broken hand, as Snitker said the righty threw 68 pitches in his most recent rehab outing on Friday, and is scheduled to toss roughly 85 pitches in his next outing. With a 3.02 ERA over nine starts and 44 2/3 innings, Ynoa was a nice surprise for Atlanta’s rotation prior to his injury, and he could be used as either a starter, long reliever, or both upon his return to the active roster.

More injury updates from around the National League…

“I’m going to pitch in Pittsburgh,” Jack Flaherty told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other reporters, indicating that he plans to return from the 60-day IL during the Cardinals’ upcoming series with the Pirates from August 10-12. A left oblique strain put Flaherty on the IL on June 1, leaving the Cards without their ace for a big chunk of the season. Miles Mikolas is also tentatively scheduled to return for next weekend’s series against the Royals, as Mikolas is working through a minor league rehab assignment of his own. Mikolas missed the entire 2020 season due to flexor tendon surgery, then made just one start in May before heading back to the IL due to forearm tightness.
Some bullpen reinforcements look to be on the way for the Reds, as Lucas Sims might be activated from the 10-day IL on Sunday, and Tejay Antone could be ready sometime this week. Both relievers went on the injured list in the final week of June — Sims with a sprained right elbow, and Antone with a right forearm strain. Reds manager David Bell told Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer and other reporters that Sims has “a pretty strong chance” of returning tomorrow, while Antone’s timeline is more tentative since he was only scheduled to begin his rehab assignment today. “We want to get him back as quick as we can, but we want to do it in a way that is best for Tejay, and we can have him for the rest of the year and he doesn’t have to deal with this anymore at all, even next year or beyond,” Bell said.
Nick Senzel’s status is even more uncertain, as Bell said Senzel is “still not recovering exactly how we would want him to” after a week of rehab games. Senzel underwent arthroscopic knee surgery at the end of May, and was initially given a recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks. Things are open-ended enough that Bell said Senzel might return to the Reds within a couple of days if he shows improvement, but for now, the oft-injured Senzel is once again sidelined.

Reds Activate Mike Moustakas From Injured List

By Anthony Franco | August 6, 2021 at 4:04pm CDT

The Reds reinstated third baseman Mike Moustakas from the 60-day injured list this afternoon. He’s in the lineup tonight against the Pirates, hitting fifth and starting at third base. Utilityman Mike Freeman was optioned to Triple-A Louisville to clear an active roster spot. To create 40-man roster space, Cincinnati transferred reliever Michael Feliz from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

It’s a welcome time for Cincinnati to get Moustakas back, as they enter play today having closed the gap on the Padres to 3.5 games in the race for the National League’s final Wild Card spot. It’ll be Moustakas’ first game action in nearly three months, as the 32-year-old landed on the shelf with a right heel issue on May 20. He embarked on a minor league rehab assignment a few weeks later but re-aggravated the injury in mid-June.

Before the injury, Moustakas was hitting at a decent but unspectacular level. He’s managed a .241/.337/.437 line over 104 plate appearances after putting up a .230/.331/.468 mark last season, his first in Cincinnati. The Reds signed Moustakas with hopes of moving the longtime third baseman over to second. With Jonathan India now in the majors and performing very well at the keystone, Moustakas has played exclusively in the corner infield in 2021.

That’ll continue to be the case, albeit with a twist relative to earlier in the season. The Reds opened the year with Moustakas at third and Eugenio Suárez at shortstop. Suárez struggled mightily in his move up the defensive spectrum, though, and kicked back over to third after Moustakas went down (with Kyle Farmer getting the bulk of playing time at short). The generally-productive Suárez has had a miserable season at the plate as well, and he’s now set to lose some playing time. Manager David Bell told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that the Reds will platoon the lefty-hitting Moustakas and right-handed Suárez, at least for the immediate future.

Suárez was one of the game’s top power threats between 2018-19, when he hit .277/.362/.550 and popped a combined 83 home runs. That lofty offensive output fell to league average last season, and he owns a .177/.260/.379 mark over 438 plate appearances this year. Suárez has hit another 22 homers, but he’s striking out at a career-worst 30.4% clip while walking in 8.9% of his trips to the plate, his lowest rate since 2016.

With the Reds in a playoff race, it makes sense to curtail Suárez’s workload a bit as he continues to struggle. He’s still under contract for $11MM per season from 2022-24 under the terms of the extension he signed in March 2018. It stands to reason he’ll get another extended look at some point, but installing Moustakas into the lineup against right-handed pitching should give the offense a boost in the short term.

Feliz’s transfer to the 60-day IL is a formality, as he has been out since June 8 with a right elbow sprain. He’s out for sixty days from the time of his original placement, so he’ll be eligible for activation whenever he’s ready to return. Feliz is currently rehabbing with Louisville, so he should be back in relatively short order. That’s also true of fellow bullpen mate Lucas Sims, who could be back with the big league club as soon as this weekend, according to Bell (via Nightengale).

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