Michael Lorenzen is taking his rotation shot seriously

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – When it comes to making the starting rotation, the odds could be stacked against Michael Lorenzen. Not that he’s concerned.

When Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price broke down his rotation competition earlier in the week, Lorenzen was at best running seventh out of eight candidates. He was jockeying for position with rookie Tyler Mahle, and a few steps behind Sal Romano and Robert Stephenson.

Lorenzen is the only one of that group who did not pitch as a starter last season, having wound up in the big league bullpen after returning from an elbow injury in 2016. But this spring the Reds are letting the 26-year-old right-hander prepare as a starter.

Is it just a move to placate a young pitcher who has been very vocal about his desire to start, or will Lorenzen get a fair shot? When asked Friday, Price said that while Lorenzen may face an uphill climb, he’ll break camp as a starter if he proves he’s one of the team’s five best options.

“Michael is going to pitch for us and make a difference on our club,” Price said. “If it’s as a starter, terrific. Because if it’s as a starter, it’s because he’s better than the other guys competing for that spot.”

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Lorenzen isn’t quite sure how he got pigeon-holed into a reliever role in the first place. He had bright stretches in the rotation during his rookie year of 2015 and entered camp the next year as a favorite for a rotation spot. That spring was cut short because of his elbow injury. He returned midseason as a reliever because the team had a dire need for bullpen help, and because it offered a faster way back to action.

Last year he was again kept in the bullpen, not because of health concerns or a particularly stocked rotation, but because of the team’s preference. He was concerned the book on his starting career was being shut before he’d really had a chance to write it.

“I feel like I didn’t really fail at starting,” Lorenzen said.

But Lorenzen did deal with failure as a reliever last year. He had a 2.93 ERA in the first half, but an ugly 6.32 mark after the All-Star Break. This offseason he focused on refining his delivery, working with experts and conducting “countless hours of studying” the mechanics of pitching. He declined to specifically name anyone whose counsel he sought.

The result, to simplify things, has been a shorter arm action. He hopes it leads to better fastball control, which should make his various secondary offerings all the more effective. He compared the process to being an ace racecar driver who is just now learning how to fix the car when it breaks down.

“It was taking this offseason to become my own mechanic and understand every aspect of the delivery, every aspect of my body and what it should be doing throughout the delivery,” Lorenzen said. “You’re able to do that and drive the car as well, then that allows you to repeat and be consistent.”

Lorenzen knows the Reds won’t be rolling out a red carpet back to the rotation for him this spring. The top three spots are claimed by Homer Bailey, Anthony DeSclafani and Luis Castillo. The fourth spot likely will go to Brandon Finnegan, who like Lorenzen went down with injury as a starter. Unlike Lorenzen a year ago, a return to health will probably mean a return to the rotation despite heavier competition in camp. (Also unlike Lorenzen, Finnegan has pitched a successful full season as a starter in the majors before.)

The leading candidates for the fifth and final spot are Sal Romano and Robert Stephenson, both of whom seemed to unlock their potential as last season came to a close. It could be a tight competition, and Lorenzen welcomes the pressure.

“I’m not going to say, ‘Oh man, I don’t want to put that much pressure on myself. It’s just another camp and I’m just going to do what I can do and see what happens,’” Lorenzen said. “No, I’ve got to be perfect, and that’s what I’m going for. I’m going for perfection.”

Then he grinned.

“Let’s see what you got, Sal and Rob.”