Sims struck out two in a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 8-7 extra-innings win over the Diamondbacks.
Sims took care of business in the 11th inning after Alexis Diaz and the Reds' shaky defense combined to blow a save chance in the 10th. This was Sims' third save of the season to go with 21 holds and four blown saves in 53 appearances. He's posted three consecutive scoreless appearances, and he's now at a 3.70 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 63:32 K:BB through 48.2 innings this season. The right-hander remains a solid setup man, but it would take a brutal slump from Diaz for Sims to be considered for closing duties.
Sims (3-2) was tagged with Sunday's loss to the Brewers. He allowed two runs on one hit and one walk over two-thirds of an inning.
The Reds held a 3-2 lead entering the eighth inning and were hoping to prevent a sweep at the hand of their division rivals. Sims, who closed out the seventh inning, allowed a walk and a single to lead off the eighth before Owen Miller's sacrifice fly tied the game. Another run was charged to Sims after he left the game. Sims, who has been near-impeccable as the Reds' primary setup reliever, entered the game with a 1.93 ERA over the previous 18.2 innings and was the bullpen with 13 holds.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Picks up relief win
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Sims (3-1) picked up the win over Milwaukee on Saturday. He allowed one walk and struck out two over 1.1 scoreless innings.
It was a wild affair in Milwaukee, as the Reds came back twice to earn the victory. Sims is a trusted late-inning arm out of the bullpen for manager David Bell. Since June 1, the right-hander has a 2.04 ERA with 23 strikeouts and five walks over 17.2 innings. Most of the damage during that stretch came in one disastrous game when he ceded three home runs in one inning to Atlanta.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Earns first save
Rotowire
Sims picked up the save in Tuesday's 8-4 victory over the Nationals, striking out two in a scoreless inning.
After Daniel Duarte allowed the first two Nationals to reach in the ninth inning, Sims came in to shut the door, striking out a pair to leave the tying run in the on-deck circle. It's the first save in three chances this year for Sims -- Alexis Diaz was unavailable after pitching in the Reds' previous two contests. While he won't be overtaking Diaz for the closing job, the 29-year-old Sims appears to be the next man up in Cincinnati's pen. He's pitched to a 3.31 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP and 42:18 K:BB across 32.2 innings this season.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Earns win in relief
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Sims (1-0) blew the save but picked up the win Wednesday against Texas. He struck out two over a scoreless inning.
Sims came on in relief in the ninth inning after Ian Gibault departed with runners on first and second and no outs. He'd allow a sacrifice fly to Brad Miller, tieing the game 3-3, before recording a pair of strikeouts to avoid further damage. Sims has made four appearances this season without allowing a run, striking out four in 3.2 innings. Sims is arguably the Reds' best option in the bullpen behind Alexis Diaz, though he doesn't have a clear path towards fantasy relevance.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Activated from 15-day IL
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Sims (back) was activated Tuesday from the 15-day injured list, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Sims will join the Reds' bullpen Tuesday against the Rays -- a day earlier than expected -- after logging three solid minor-league rehab appearances at Triple-A Louisville. He's battled a lot of injuries in recent seasons, but the 28-year-old right-hander could quickly rise into a prominent setup role if his health cooperates.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Likely coming off IL on Wednesday
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The Reds are expected to reinstate Sims (back) from the 15-day injured list prior to Wednesday's game against the Rays, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Sims has already rejoined the Reds in Cincinnati, but he'll get a couple more days to rest up following his recent three-appearance rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville. He covered exactly one inning in each of those outings and gave up no runs on one hit and two walks while striking out three. Once activated, Sims will likely settle back into a setup role in front of closer Alexis Diaz.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Starts up rehab assignment
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Sims (back) will begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Louisville.
Since Sims' placement on the IL is retroactive to March 27, he'll be eligible for activation as soon as Tuesday, but it's unclear if he'll be immediately reinstated at that time. The Reds will likely wait and see how he fares during his upcoming appearance Sunday before deciding whether he's fit to join the big-league bullpen or requires at least one more outing in the minors. Once activated, Sims is expected to settle into a setup role in front of closer Alexis Diaz.
The Reds placed Sims (back) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.
Bell was bothered by back spasms throughout much of March and will need a little more rest and rehab before he can jump into the Reds' bullpen. The 28-year-old might eventually emerge again as a high-leverage option in Cincinnati, though he has some proving to do after his lost 2022.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Will open season on injured list
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Reds manager David Bell confirmed Wednesday that Sims (back) will open the season on the injured list, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Sims has been bothered by back spasms, and the reliever won't be ready for the start of the season. Bell also said that Sims along with Luke Weaver (forearm) will likely pitch in rehab assignments for Triple-A Louisville before they're ready to join the Reds. Assuming he has no further setbacks, Sims has a good chance to pitch in the late innings for Cincinnati in the middle of April.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Shut down with back spasm
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Sims has been shut down for a few days with a back spasm, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
He had season-ending back surgery last year, yet the team says it's not related to that procedure to address a herniated disk. Either way, it sounds like Sims is could still make the Opening Day roster.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Ready for start of spring training
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Sims (back) reported to spring training earlier this week and will be a full participant in camp, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Sims was limited to just 6.2 innings at the big-league level 2022 before undergoing season-ending surgery, and he gave up seven runs over that span. The right-hander has been an effective relief option when healthy, however, and he's expected to re-enter the high-leverage mix for Cincinnati now that he's made a full recovery from back surgery. Reds manager David Bell has named Alexis Diaz the closer, so Sims will have to settle for setup work early on.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Avoids arbitration
Rotowire
Sims (back) signed a one-year, $1.27 million contract with the Reds on Friday to avoid arbitration, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Sims' season was cut short in 2022 after undergoing season-ending surgery on his back, and the 6.2 innings he managed to pitch early in the year weren't pretty (9.45 ERA, 1.65 WHIP). It's possible he'll work his way back into the closer role Cincinnati had planned for him going into 2022, though it may take a while before he gets there.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Set for season-ending surgery
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Sims will undergo season-ending surgery to address a herniated disc in his back, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Sims entered the season looking like the favorite to close games for Cincinnati, but he'll finish it with just a single save to his name. Elbow troubles limited him to just six appearances, in which he gave up seven runs in 6.2 frames, before he returned to the injured list with back problems. He attempted to pitch through the issue, but it got bad enough that he was in serious pain and couldn't feel his foot. Undergoing surgery now at least gives him plenty of time to get ready for spring training.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Transferred to 60-day IL
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Sims (back) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Friday.
Sims began a throwing program in late May but won't be eligible to rejoin the Reds until at least mid-July after being moved to the 60-day injured list. It's not clear how much progress the right-hander has made in his throwing progression, but Art Warren and Alexis Diaz are the top two closing options in the Reds' bullpen after Tony Santillan (back) was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday.
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Reds' Lucas Sims: Set to begin throwing program
Rotowire
Reds manager David Bell said Sims (back) will begin a throwing program Tuesday or Wednesday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Since he's a reliever, Sims shouldn't require too extensive of a ramp-up period, but he'll still need to advance from playing catch to throwing off a mound to facing hitters before he's cleared to head out on what should be a brief minor-league rehab assignment. Before lower-back spasms forced him to the 15-day injured list May 12, Sims looked to be near the front of the pecking order for saves out of the Cincinnati bullpen, but it's unclear where he'll stand in the Reds' late-inning plans once he eventually returns. Alexis Diaz, Art Warren and Tony Santillan have all picked up one save apiece since Sims was placed on the IL.
