Reds waiting for Sam LeCure to find fastball command

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When the Reds sent reliever Sam LeCure to Triple-A Louisville at the end of spring training, they were looking for him to get better command of his fastball.

LeCure has a 3.68 ERA in five appearances for Louisville this season. It's a positive sign, but the Reds are still waiting to see a change in his fastball.

"I think he’s doing a nice job of managing the games he’s getting into,” Reds manager Bryan Price said, per MLB.com. “Our primary focus with Sam when he went to Triple-A was to get the fastball command back. in the second half of last year, it was more challenging for him. It’s such a big pitch – that two-seam sinker, comebacker that he throws. He was able to lean a bit more on the curveball and changeup last year. I think for him to be the impact pitcher he was for us in the past, the fastball command will need to come back in force. And I have not lost any optimism that he’ll be a part of this bullpen here over the course of the season. We certainly miss his influence."