Price expects Cody Reed to return to Cincinnati Reds in September

Marlins at Reds, 7:10 p.m., FS Ohio,

Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price offered words of encouragement to rookie pitcher Cody Reed when he informed him Monday he was being sent down to Triple-A Louisville.

“What we talked to Cody about before he was sent out was his season doesn’t look that dissimilar at this level as some of the kids we brought up last year,” Price said. “It wasn’t like they just came up here and dominated the league. Most of them struggled and got knocked around a little bit. You have to learn where your areas of strengths and weaknesses are.

Price referenced Keyvius Sampson, who was 2-6 with a 6.54 ERA in 12 starts with the Reds last season and has a 3.81 ERA in 11 relief appearances with the Reds this season. He also mentioned Michael Lorenzen, who posted a 5.40 ERA in 21 starts as a rookie last season and has turned into a dependable reliever with a 2.39 ERA in 17 appearances this season.

The Reds still consider Reed, 23, a big part of their future plans despite his struggles. He’s 0-7 with a 7.36 ERA in 10 starts. They sent him to Louisville on Monday before the start of a four-game series against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park.

Reed allowed six earned runs in one inning Sunday in a 7-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. He left the game without getting an out in the second inning. Ryan Braun’s three-run home run spelled the end of Reed’s day, but probably not his season with the Reds. Price expects him back when rosters expand in September.

“I don’t see why he wouldn’t come back up,” Price said. “He’s going to be a piece of the future. I’d love to take a look at him after he spends a couple weeks in Triple-A. That will inevitably be an organizational decision.”

The Reds hoped Reed had turned a corner when he threw six scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 8. By sending him to Louisville, they give him a chance to work on his delivery, Price said, and they can better control his workload.

“He’s got to work on controlling the running game,” Price said. “He’s got to work on commanding the zone with his three-pitch mix and get back to the bottom of the zone with some angle on his pitches. He knows that.”