After a rock solid season in 2008 out of the Cincinnati Reds’ bullpen, left-handed reliever Bill Bray came into spring training last year hoping to further solidify his spot as an effective bullpen option. Injuries threw a wrench in Bray’s plan, however, as he only got to appear in three early-season games at Louisville before elbow problems forced him to shut it down for the year. In May of 2009, Bray underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow, the third time in his career he has experienced early-season health issues.

All signs this spring, however, point to Bray, who had a 2.87 ERA with the Reds in 2008, moving fast down the comeback trail. Tommy John surgery typically has a 10-12 month recovery process, and Bray appears to be progressing right along those lines. This spring, Bray has thrown pain-free in several bullpen sessions, and hopes to be getting some game action somewhere by the time the regular season is underway.

This past week, Bray was among a slew of young pitchers in Reds’ spring training who were assigned to triple-A, meaning there is a good chance he will start the year in Louisville. Continuing his rehabilitation while in a Bats’ uniform could be an ideal situation for Bray, allowing him to build his arm back to the level it was when he got some clutch, late-inning outs with Cincinnati two years ago.

Although the 26-year-old Bray has suffered a bevy of injuries, the southpaw’s numbers have been solid when healthy since making his major-league debut in 2006 while playing for the Nationals. Bray had only been in the big leagues for a month when the Reds traded for him as part of the deal that sent Austin Kearns and Felipe Lopez to Washington. After joining the Reds, Bray appeared in 29 games, earning a pair of saves to go with a 4.23 ERA.

Injuries also short-circuited Bray in 2007, when finger and elbow trouble led to lots of time on the disabled list. After the all-star break, Bray got finally got healthy, but didn’t see action with the Reds until August, when he appeared in 19 games. Bray’s injury-free 2008 was a different story, as he put his pitching ability on display, and earned career highs in ERA, saves, and strikeouts. Down the season’s stretch run, Bray became the Reds’ top lefty out of the bullpen to set up Francisco Cordero.

Bray, a native of Virigina Beach, played his college ball at nearby William and Mary, which is in Williamsburg, Virginia. Bray was a two-time All-Colonial conference performer as a member of the Tribe, helping the team set a school record for wins in a season during his junior year.

With the Louisville Bats starting their season in less than a month, we could see Bray on the Bats’ opening day roster. Regardless of which level Bray starts the 2010 season, one hopes his recovery will give him an opportunity to throw competitively in a game as soon as his elbow allows. Louisville’s first game is April 8th in Toledo, and their first home tilt will be on Wednesday, April 14th.