Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitcher Rhett Lowder Embracing Competition in Spring

After dominating over his last 12 appearances last season, Reds' starting pitcher Rhett Lowder is competing for a rotation spot this spring, and he's embracing every part of it.

"I love the competition," Lowder told FOX 19's Joe Danneman. "If you use it the right way, it'll do nothing, but make you better. Guys that aren't going to thrive off of it, it might hurt. But I think we have a good group of guys that will all embrace the competition and use it to get better."

Lowder was quickly promoted from High-A Dayton to Double-A Chattanooga before going through a stretch of rough outings of his own. In his first 10 starts in Double-A, Lowder had a 6.85 ERA and gave up 60 hits in just 43 1/3 innings pitched.

However, something changed in the July 9th start. Lowder made six more appearances in Double-A and one start at Triple-A, posting a 0.90 ERA over 40 innings. The 22-year-old surrendered just four runs and 23 hits over 40 innings in that timeframe.

The right-hander's stretch was so impressive that it earned him a call to the big leagues. He didn't disappoint. Lowder gave up just four runs over four starts and 30 2/3 innings pitched.

Although Lowder dominated, he is his own biggest critic.

"I knew my game was probably as sharp as it's been in a while, so I felt nothing but confident. I wasn't too worried about the numbers," he said. "I was just trying to get out there and give our team the best chance to win every single game. I could have thrown the ball a little bit better in some areas. The numbers don't tell the full story. There's always room for improvement."

Lowder is just trying to be himself in the spring and isn't necessarily looking to stand out.

"We all have the same goal and are just fighting to get better every single day," he said. "We were talking about just getting one percent better. Ultimately, people are watching. There are eyes on you all the time. There is a lot of staff and front office people watching you all the time."

Lowder has put a lot of work in this off-season to get himself stronger.

"A little heavier. A little stronger," Lowder said. "I think I am at a good base right now heading into spring. The season is long and you get banged up and it's hard to keep that strength on, but you need that good, solid base heading into spring."

Lowder is currently dealing with elbow soreness, but he's still hopeful he can get healthy and secure a spot in the rotation when the season begins.

You can listen to Danneman's full interview with Lowder here.

Make sure you bookmark Cincinnati Reds Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and daily coverage of the Cincinnati Reds!