Michael Lorenzen’s 2021 season was always going to look different. After becoming a stalwart of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen over the last handful of seasons, he entered camp in Goodyear in February with an eye on a spot in the overhauled starting rotation, a job he’d flirted with down the stretch in 2020 but hadn’t truly held since his rookie season.
Unfortunately, a minor shoulder injury put him on the shelf during Cactus League play, though at the time it was assumed he’d be back healthy in somewhat short order even though he began the year on the 10-day IL.