The Cincinnati Reds have optioned rookie right-handed starter Sam LeCure back to Louisville after an ineffective start on Saturday against Cleveland. In six starts, LeCure was 1-4 after being called up to replace the injured Homer Bailey.

This from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Either Travis Wood or Matt Maloney has to be the guy for Thursday’s start against the Cubs in Wrigley.

NORFOLK, Va. — Travis Wood of Bryant turned in a dominating performance on Friday night, shutting out the Norfolk Tides on just five hits over eight innings in the Louisville Bats’ 7-0 road win in International League action.

Wood struck out nine and walked just one while improving his record to 5-6 and lowering his earned run average to 3.12.

Diamond Sports of Bryant has announced the addition of two new instructors including one who will be conducting a catching and throwing clinic on Sunday, July 18.

The new additions are Bryan Jones, a hitting and catching instructor, and Mike Campbell.

Jones was a standout at Richland College where, as catcher, he helped the Thunderducks finish second at the JUCO World Series in Batavia, N.Y. Jones received All-Region honors and All-Tournament honors at the World Series.

From Richland, he moved to Ouachita Baptist University where he was voted to the All-Gulf South Conference team for his work behind the plate. Coach Jones served as a graduate assistant for two years at OBU and saw the Tigers reach the GSC tournament for the first time in school history. Since then, he has coached at Benton High School and Pulaski Academy.

LOUISVILLE — Travis Wood, the Louisville Bats’ starting pitcher from Bryant, endured another game in which his earned run average went down but he absorbed a loss.

The Bats, the AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, managed just one run against the Durham Bulls (Tampa Bay Rays) on Sunday so the two that Wood allowed in his 6 2/3 innings were one too many. Durham wound up with a 5-1 win with three more runs late in the International League contest.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Travis Wood of Bryant struck out 10 and walked just one in seven innings of work for the Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds) on Tuesday night. He allowed just four hits and two runs but that was enough as Pawtucket’s duo of Michael Bowden and Robert Manuel combined on a three-hit shutout.

Wood absorbed the tough loss in a 2-0 game in the International League contest.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Bryant’s Travis Wood handcuffed the Syracuse Chiefs (Washington Nationals) on just three hits over seven innings as the Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds) picked up an International League win, 9-1, on Thursday night.

In the write-up for MiLB.com, Neil Rohrer wrote:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In his most recent start, Bryant’s Travis Wood pitched effectively over seven innings but received no decision after leaving a 5-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh against the Pawtucket Red Sox on Saturday, June 5.

Pawtucket eventually won the game 8-6 in 13 innings.Wood shut out the Red Sox over the first five innings, allowing just two hits and retiring seven in a row going into the sixth.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Iowa Western Community College knocked the Crowder College Roughriders into the loser’s bracket earlier this week and, on Wednesday, that same squad ended Crowder’s season with a 13-3 decision at the National Junior College World Series.

Freshman Tyler Sawyer of Bryant started on the mound for the Roughriders and absorbed the loss when he couldn’t escape a second-inning jam that escalated into a six-run uprising that put Iowa Western in command.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — With both teams playing as if their seasons depended on it — which was actually the case — the Crowder Community College Roughriders scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to forge a 19-18 victory over Faulkner State Community College in a wild game at the National Junior College World Series today.