Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen (shoulder strain) could be nearing a return. He threw a bullpen session recently and feels confident that he can return soon. (Bobby Nightengale Jr.)
Fantasy Impact
Lorenzen added that he fiddled with a new curveball during the bullpen session and saw positive results. "During my 'pen, I threw two curveballs with a little adjustment that [pitching coach Derek Johnson] told me about. It was, 'Oh, wow. That’s a completely different pitch.'" The right-hander had a 4.28 ERA over 18 games last year (two starts). Over 33.2 innings, he allowed 16 earned runs on 30 hits and 17 walks while striking out 35.