Sims on recovery: 'Back to feeling like a ballplayer'

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- At the start of Spring Training in 2022, Reds reliever Lucas Sims was already feeling back soreness, and did not get into any Cactus League games. Once the right-hander debuted on April 23, his regular season lasted all of six appearances before it was all over.

By July, Sims had undergone surgery to repair a bulging disc in his lower back. He began throwing again in October, and came to Spring Training 2023 feeling 100 percent.

“It’s just night and day. It’s rekindled the love for it," Sims said of pitching pain-free again this spring. "Any time something is taken away from you, you kind of realize how much it means to you. I am back to feeling like a ballplayer, back to feeling healthy and I’m very excited.”

On Saturday, Sims was among Reds pitchers who threw to hitters in live batting practice. It's certainly a small sample, but his stuff looked good. At one point, Wil Myers hit a slider to the fence in center field. But two pitches later, another Sims slider was nastier and locked up Kevin Newman while drawing some "ooohs" from observers.

"It was encouraging," Curt Casali said after catching Sims’ session.

Sims had a 9.45 ERA and 1.65 WHIP during his six appearances last season. His four-seam fastball averaged 93.5 mph, down from 95.1 mph in 2021. He said it is now tracking back up to the 94-95 mph range again.

The work began in Cincinnati last fall before Sims came to Arizona in December and threw at the Reds complex. Two weeks ago, he started facing hitters for the first time in eight months.

"It felt great. That was a big stepping stone for me," Sims said. "This was the build-up, building up the volume, building up the intensity over time. I probably touched the mound a little more than I would in years past. I know the importance of coming in ready. Luckily we still have spring to face some hitters, iron out some kinks -- hopefully there aren’t many -- and fine-tune it for Opening Day. You hit the ground running and don’t look back.”

Before he had surgery last year, Sims spent a lot of time rehabilitating his back and working on core strength. He became an advocate for incorporating yoga and pilates into his regimen.

Post-surgery, he continues to be disciplined and does core bodywork daily.

“Through the process, I found a sort of speed limit. You’ve got to stay within the parameters," he said. "You don’t want to push it too far into positions you don’t need to. It’s a build-up, just like catch play. You don’t just throw 95 mph right away. It’s a process to build up. It’s the consistency to hammer out your stuff every day. If you do mobility once a week, you’re not going to see results. It’s like drills and mound work.”

In 2020, Sims was a big part of the Reds' bullpen, posting a 2.45 ERA and 0.94 WHIP in 20 appearances. In '21, his ERA sagged to 4.40, but he worked through injury woes to finish the season strong: After spending six weeks from June to August on the IL with a sprained right elbow, he returned and posted a 3.44 ERA in 19 outings to end the year.

"Lucas has proven ... he has pitched in the biggest games we’ve played here in the last four years. No situation is too big," Reds manager David Bell said. "His stuff is as good if not better than any -- you can put him up against any reliever in the game as far as his stuff, and the way he competes as well. It’s just about his health. He’s very healthy right now. He has the ability to be one of the best in the game."

Having a healthy and effective Sims back in a late-inning role to supplement closer Alexis Díaz would be a big plus for Bell's bullpen this season.

"You need multiple guys that can pitch in the ninth and get saves," Bell said. "I get having one go-to guy. If you’re winning enough games, they need help. If Lucas stays healthy, I’d anticipate him getting opportunities at the end of games."

Sims is ready to take that on again.

“It’s what I want," he said. "I want to come in for the most important part of the game. You want to be the guy that gets the job done a lot more than you don’t.”