CINCINNATI – Because he was rehabilitating from a right shoulder strain in either in Arizona or Louisville the entire first half of the season, Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen had to watch his team’s games on television and be a fan like everybody else.

That proved to not always be easy. And unlike your regular baseball fan, Lorenzen has the phone numbers of manager David Bell, pitching coach Derek Johnson and others with the club.

“I couldn’t watch too many of them, because I get too impatient,” Lorenzen said on Friday. “So, there’s that fine line you need to walk of ‘Yeah, we need to push this and let’s speed it up.’”

Lorenzen’s long wait is over. On Friday, before a key three-game series vs. the Brewers, he was activated from the 60-day injured list. The right-hander was injured during the middle of March in Spring Training and now is part of a pennant race for the second-place team playing the first-place team in the National League Central.

“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome to just come right in and be a part of this,” Lorenzen said. “I’ve been watching some games and some of the games, I can’t watch, because I’m texting DJ and David and doctors and PTs about getting me back right now. Trying to fight to get back. I watch games, but I know it’s almost not good for me to watch some of them.

“The ones that I have been watching, it’s been a ton of fun with the way the bullpen has stepped up, the way guys have come up, rookies or guys that we’ve picked up and are new to the team that just step up and are playing huge roles.”

Lorenzen’s return is also timely after the Reds had to put reliever Art Warren on the 10-day IL on Thursday with a left oblique strain. Warren was injured while pitching at Milwaukee on Sunday.

“It will be nice to add him into the mix into a bullpen that’s been doing a great job,” Bell said. “Any time we can add Michael Lorenzen back on to our team and to the bullpen, he’s going to make us better. I’m happy for him to be back and anxious to be around him every day and have him part of this team.”

In four appearances and 4 1/3 innings for Triple-A Louisville, Lorenzen had a 2.08 ERA. His final hurdle was pitching on back-to-back days on Tuesday and Wednesday.

As badly as he wanted to get back, it was Lorenzen who was on board with waiting a couple of extra days so he could pitch during the All-Star break for Louisville.

Lorenzen felt there would be no need to be eased back into working games.

“If [Bell] tries to ease me into it, I think I will have a long conversation about it. I don’t think I will be eased into anything. I’m ready to roll,” Lorenzen said. “Actually, it was my idea, instead of coming back Saturday in Milwaukee without going back-to-back, without going multiple innings yet, I said, ‘I don’t want you guys to have to strategize around that when I come back. During the All-Star break, I’ll stay in Louisville, I’ll throw multiple innings, I’ll go back-to-back, so when I come back, there is no easing me into anything. We can just go full go, and whenever you need me to pitch, I’m ready to roll.'”

Six-man rotation under consideration
After Tyler Mahle, Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray, the Reds have not named the rest of their rotation order after this weekend. Part of the reason is the club is considering going to a six-man rotation next week. Jeff Hoffman, who has been on the 10-day IL since May 27 with right shoulder soreness, is expected to make his final rehab assignment start on Friday at Class A Dayton and could rejoin the club for the next series vs. the Mets.

“There is a chance we would add him in for a couple of reasons -- he's ready to go and also some of our starters with Mahle pitching tonight, Luis pitching tomorrow, they're getting an extra day or two, but not an extra four days,” Bell said. “There is a chance that we could, it would probably be temporarily, go to a six-man rotation for this homestand and create a couple of starts where guys are getting an extra day or two as opposed to the big long break at one time.”

Gray will be activated from the 10-day IL for Sunday following a right rib cage strain on July 7 but did not miss a start because of the All-Star break.

Wade Miley is one of those Cincinnati starters who is getting the longer break. Miley pitched eight scoreless innings at Milwaukee on July 9 but will miss the Brewers this time around.

“I think those guys thought maybe I needed a little longer break,” Miley said. “I know the Mets have a pretty lefty heavy lineup. Do I want to pitch as soon as possible? Yeah, but I also listen to my body and know I’m not 25 anymore. A couple of extra days can never hurt. It will be good for me to have this little extra time off.”

Reds sign fourth-round pick
The Reds announced that they signed their first 2021 MLB Draft selection. First baseman Ruben Ibarra, their fourth-round selection from San Jose State was officially signed on Friday.