Sam LeCure Returns To Reds' Bullpen

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Sam LeCure returned to Cincinnati today to take his spot in the Reds' bullpen.

Popular with teammates and fans, LeCure had to battle himself and his expectations to make it back to the Major Leagues.

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LeCure was removed from the Reds' 40-man roster at the end of spring training. He watched pitcher after pitcher getting called up to Cincinnati.  It is now his turn and every man in the clubhouse was happy to see him.

"Sam had a really difficult start of the season. His statistics aren't great but he's locating his pitches now," Bryan Price said.

LeCure was 5-4 with a 5.25 ERA in Louisville. He pitched 60 innings, walking 24 and striking out 44.

Price sited lack of velocity in spring training as the reason he was sent down.

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Nate Adcock, Dylan Axelrod, Pedro Villarreal, Donovan Hand, and Carlos Contreras, were all called up to the bullpen before LeCure.

"I feel ready to come back now," LeCure said. "I couldn't have said that a few months ago. It was a humbling experience to go back there."

LeCure was desperate to return and tried everything and anything to make it back.

"There are a few things that I don't feel that I'm doing the best I can," LeCure said. "I had to do some different things to be competitive. I have to be comfortable with who I am. I tried to throw 100 mph. You can get out of whack physically trying to do that and mentally you get the 'wonder why' mentality."

LeCure had to accept what he could do and not worry about what he couldn't do after he had spent three full seasons with the Reds.

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"I'm not going to be someone, I'm not," LeCure said. "I'm never going to be Aroldis Chapman. I had to realize that I would never be the best but I need to be good enough. I tried all kinds of things to get better. I had to realize that what I could do was good enough."

Adcock was moved to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the Reds' 40-man roster and Axelrod was optioned to Louisville.