CINCINNATI -- Soon after Michael Lorenzen made history for the Reds during their win over the Phillies on Wednesday, he was given even more good news -- his name would be in the lineup the next day, as the starting center fielder.

"It was fun telling him last night," manager David Bell said before the Reds' 4-3 win over the Phillies on Thursday afternoon. "I think he thought I was joking at first."

The center field nod marked the first time in Lorenzen's career that he started at a position other than pitcher. He didn't hide his excitement while answering questions from reporters in the morning, calling it "a great day."

"I've been lobbying just for some more time [as a position player] all year, just messing around and throwing some stuff in [Bell's] ear and seeing if anything stuck," Lorenzen said. "It's working a little bit. I'm super excited, didn't get much sleep last night because I was so excited to be able to show up and play center field today."

It would be difficult for him to top his performance from the night before, however. Lorenzen joined Babe Ruth as the only Major League players since 1900 to earn the win, hit a home run and play in the outfield in the same game, per Elias Sports. There was a 98-year gap between the two historic moments -- Ruth's happened on June 13, 1921, before Lorenzen matched him Wednesday night.

Lorenzen went 0-for-3 on Thursday, but made a spectacular catch on a Jean Segura fly ball in the eighth that ended the inning. A sprinting Lorenzen stayed on his feet while stabbing the ball, a catch that registered as "4-star" by Statcast. It had a 50 percent catch probability, and Lorenzen got a good jump on it -- +4.1 feet above average. 

Bell, who admitted he is working to be more open-minded about Lorenzen receiving more playing time as a position player, somewhat downplayed Lorenzen's historic performance as leading him to give him the start in center in the finale with the Phillies. This was something he had been considering for a while. A combination of center fielder Nick Senzel being sidelined for a couple of days with a sore shoulder and the Phillies starting a left-hander, Jason Vargas, moved Bell to pull the trigger.

"The home run didn't hurt last night, but it was something we talked about earlier in the day," Bell said. "The biggest thing was that he threw two innings last night and he was most likely not going to be available as a reliever today. It all just came together. It just seemed to make the most sense today."

By pitching on Wednesday and starting in center field on Thursday, Lorenzen becomes the first pitcher to start in the outfield the game after pitching since Don Robinson in 1984, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Robinson pitched in the first game of a doubleheader on September 30, also against the Phillies, and then starting and played left field in the second game. It was on the last day of the season – a slightly different scenario.

Lorenzen's drive to be a three-way player -- pitch, hit and play an outfield position -- began when he was a kid, but was triggered in earnest as a college player at Cal State Fullerton. Shagging fly balls was not just a fun hobby; it was a bit of an addiction, so much that he'd have to force himself to scale back so that it didn't affect his stamina during games.

"I would have to pace myself because I love to shag so much before the game that I would be exhausted for the game," he said. "It's not like it's worked for me. It's second-nature to go out there and do it and try to improve at every aspect of the game. For me it's fun. It's easier on my mind. It gives me a task to do. It's something I love. It doesn't take anything away from anything else."

College was also when Lorenzen received a true taste of being a two-way player. Often, he'd play in the field for eight innings and come in the ninth to close out games on the mound.

It's highly unlikely he'd ever be permitted to do that in the Major Leagues, but Lorenzen will gladly accept any opportunity the Reds give him to show his skills beyond pitching. Entering Thursday's game, Lorenzen had made 66 relief appearances this season across 74 innings. He has a 3.04 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He also had six hits in 17 at-bats. In his career, Lorenzen has 27 hits in 101 at-bats with seven homers and 22 RBIs.

It's difficult to forecast where this all may lead. Lorenzen may be one and done after his debut in center Thursday. Or, perhaps, this will lead to more playing time in the field. Being part of the bullpen is a little bit of a hurdle, because unlike starters, relievers don't know when they'll be needed from day to day. Putting Lorenzen in the starting lineup as a position player wouldn't necessarily make him unavailable out of the 'pen that day, but it does make the juggling more challenging.

What's not debatable is Lorenzen has given Bell plenty to think about.

"I've always said I don't want to limit Michael, but I think I have," Bell said. "I've learned a lot about my thinking and the limitations of my thinking. It's more about that than him limiting himself for sure. At times he's joking -- but most of the times he means it. It's my responsibility to not only listen to that but to trust what I'm seeing too."