St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn wasn’t ready to shut down this season despite being hobbled by a knee injury.
Lynn will come off the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday night when the Cardinals (72-72) host the Cincinnati Reds (71-75) in the middle game of a three-game series.
The Reds won the series opener 3-0 on Tuesday.
“That’s why you’re still here doing your thing, to be a part of things and try to help the team win,” Lynn said. “The rehab process was a little longer than I would have liked, but we’re in a place where everything feels pretty good, so now we’re going to go compete.”
During his only rehabilitation start at Triple-A Memphis, Lynn allowed five runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out eight in 3 2/3 innings on Sept. 1.
“The box score is the box score down there,” Lynn said. “Velocity was where it needed to be. I got my pitch count up. I was able to mess around with some pitches here and there and do some things. I walked a few guys trying to mess with some things. It’s just like a normal spring training start is what I got out of it.”
Lynn (6-4, 4.06 ERA) pitched well in his final three starts before landing on the IL on July 31. The right-hander allowed just three runs on 12 hits and six walks while striking out 11 in 16 innings during those outings.
In two starts against the Reds this season, Lynn is 1-0 with an 0.75 ERA. During those games, he has allowed a total of three runs (one earned) on seven hits in 12 innings.
He is 13-5 with 3.05 ERA in 24 career appearances against the Reds, including 21 starts.
The Reds won for the seventh time in nine games on Tuesday.
“At any point in the year, no matter where we’re in the standings, coming into a division opponent, coming into their place and taking the first game is huge, especially with the circumstances we’ve had the last couple of days, playing the night game last night and getting in here,” Reds center fielder TJ Friedl said post-game on Bally Sports Cincinnati. “Everybody did a good job just prepping and getting ready to go.”
Cincinnati is trying to navigate a stretch of 12 games in 12 days while dealing with multiple pitching injuries. Starters Nick Lodolo (finger), Hunter Greene (elbow) and Andrew Abbott (shoulder) are on the 15-day IL.
“Our pitching has really been great for us through this stretch,” Reds manager David Bell said after Cincinnati recorded its second straight shutout. “It doesn’t get any better than what they’ve done the last two nights.”
Brandon Williamson (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will start for the Reds on Wednesday. The left-hander has missed most of the season with a shoulder ailment. Since returning, he has given up two runs, one earned, in 3 1/3 innings during a start against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 1, then tossed 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief against the New York Mets on Friday.
Williamson faced the Cardinals twice last year and went 1-0 with a 4.35 ERA.
Cincinnati got second baseman Jonathan India back in the leadoff spot on Tuesday, and he went 0-for-3 with two walks and a run. He exited Sunday’s game against the Mets with a sore left elbow and sat out Monday’s victory at Atlanta.
The Cardinals made a roster move ahead of the series, promoting infielder Thomas Saggese from Triple-A Memphis and returning outfielder Victor Scott II to that team.
Saggese, 22, has played second base, shortstop and third base in the minors. He started at shortstop on Tuesday, going 0-for-4 in his major league debut while giving Masyn Winn a second consecutive day of rest.
Winn said, “Elbow’s just been bugging me a little bit. I’ve been in the training room a lot. I’m feeling a lot better. … I think having … the back-to-back off days is going to be good.”
