The novelty wore off at the beginning of the season. Reds players and fans weren’t surprised to see Michael Lorenzen playing in the outfield, pinch running in the ninth inning or standing in the batter’s box.
Lorenzen, entering Monday’s series opener against the Houston Astros, had played in 45 of the club’s 69 games this season. Among relievers, he leads the Reds and ranks sixth in the National League with 36 u2154 innings pitched. He’s played 13 u2153 innings in the outfield and made nine appearances as a pinch runner.
During spring training, Reds manager David Bell said he didn’t want to put any limits on the way he used Lorenzen.