Attended Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia...as a senior in 2012 was named Georgia Region 8 AAAAA Pitcher of the Year after finishing 8-1 with a 1.19 ERA and leading Brookwood to the state championship game...before signing with the Braves was committed to attending Clemson University.
2022
Missed 144 games during two stints on the injured list with a lower back injury, including the first 13 games of the season through 4/20 and the last 131 games of the season beginning 5/12... On 7/7 had season-ending microdiscectomy surgery to alleviate the discomfort of a bulging disc... Was transferred to the 60-day injured list on 6/17, when IF Max Schrock was reinstated from the 60-day IL... From 4/23-5/10 made all 6 of his appearances for the Reds... In the 4-1 win on 4/24 vs StL, in his second appearance, earned his only save of the season and eighth of his Major League career... In the eighth inning of the 18-4 loss on 5/4 at Mil tied his career high with four walks, snapping a streak of 68 batters faced (28 strikeouts) without issuing a walk...were his first walks since his first batter faced on 8/20/21 vs Mia...the 68-batter walkless streak included his last 55 batters of 2021 and his first 13 batters of this season... In the 5-4 loss on 5/10 vs Mil, in his final appearance of the season, made his 100th career appearance for the Reds... Twice threw more than 1.0 inning (1.1ip on 4/30 at Col, 1.2ip on 5/10 vs Mil)... Retired his first batter faced in four of his six appearances...stranded three of four inherited runners... Once threw on consecutive days, his first two appearances of the season (4/23-4/24 vs St. Louis)... Began the 2022 season on the 15-day injured list after back spasms disrupted his spring training preparation...did not make an appearance for the Reds in Goodyear.
2021
Recorded his first seven professional saves...Established career highs in wins, appearances, saves and strikeouts...Didn't issue a walk to any of his last 55 batters faced...issued his most recent walk to his first batter on 8/20 vs Mia...Beginning 8/22 shut out the opponent in 14 of his last 15 appearances of the season (1.26era, 14.1ip, 7h, 2er, 0bb, 25k, .140baa), including a pair of career-high seven-game scoreless streaks (6.2ip from 8/22-9/10, 6.2ip from 9/15-10/1)...Retired 18 consecutive batters between a 3-run HR by Jazz Chisholm Jr. on 8/20 vs Mia and a single by Willson Contreras on 9/6 at Wrigley Field...From 6/24-8/7 missed 39 games with a right elbow sprain...Posted a 5.02 ERA (.221baa) in 28 appearances prior to the injury and a 3.44 ERA (.167baa) in 19 appearances after he came off the 10-day injured list on 8/8...Suffered the elbow injury in the 10-7 win on 6/22 at Min, when all three batters faced reached base and scored...in his last 11 appearances prior to that outing had posted an ERA of 0.75 (12ip, 11h, 1er, 4bb, 18k, .239oba)...Before he came off the injured list on 8/8, made five rehab appearances for Louisville (2gs, 0-0, 3.86, 4.2ip, 6h, 3bb, 4k, 2hr, .333baa)...Retired the first batter in 34 of his 47 appearances...stranded 13 of 19 inherited runners, including each of his last seven inherited runners...Nine times threw more than 1.0 inning, most recently on 8/15 at Pit (1.1ip)...Four times threw a season-high 2.0 innings, most recently in the 6-2 win on 6/13 vs Col...Eight times pitched on two consecutive days and once, for the only time in his career, pitched on three consecutive days (4/20-4/22)...was pitching when the 4/20 game was suspended and returned to the mound when the game resumed on 4/21...pitched again on 4/22... In the 3-0 win on 4/12 at SF earned his first professional save...entered the game in the ninth inning with two outs and a runner on base in relief of Tejay Antone, who had thrown 3.2 hitless innings, and struck out Evan Longoria to end the game...His appearance in the 7-2 loss on 6/10 vs Mil snapped a six-game scoreless streak during which he recorded five saves (6.1ip, 6h, 2bb, 9k, .250oba)...also snapped a streak in which he had converted six straight save chances and another streak in which he had pitched in seven consecutive Reds wins...Began spring training with tightness in his right elbow and was limited to three apps in "A" Games...Made his first appearance in an "A" Game on 3/23 (1ip, 3h, 2er, 0bb, 1k)...Made his second Opening Day roster, both with the Reds (2020, 2021).
2020
Made his first Opening Day roster... With 20 apps ranked fourth on the Reds' staff (Raisel Iglesias 22, Amir Garrett 21, Nate Jones 21)... Twice allowed a season-high 3 earned runs, both to the Cardinals (1.2ip on 9/1 vs StL, 2ip on 9/12 at StL)... his season ERA in his other 18 apps was 0.41 (22ip, 1er)... Nine times during the regular season threw more than 1.0 inning...Five times threw at least 2.0 innings, with a season-high of 2.1 innings on 9/20 vs WSox... Twice during the regular season pitched on consecutive days (8/4-8/5, 9/4-9/5)... During the regular season retired the first batter in 15 of his 20 apps...stranded 14 of 19 inherited runners... twice inherited the bases loaded and each time stranded two of the three runners without allowing a hit... Pitched in both games of the Wild Card Series at Atl...did not allow a hit and retired the last eight of his nine batters.
2019
Was an International League All-Star and IL Pitcher of the Week for 7/1-7/7...Ranked T17th in the International League in strikeouts...Went 1-1, 6.48 in 4 starts and 1-0, 3.42 in 20 relief apps during 2 stints with the Reds...Made 3 starts and all 20 of his relief apps after he was promoted just following the All-Star break...was 1 of 7 roster moves that day (7/18)...Made his first start the day after a day/night doubleheader...made his second start in place of injured RHP Tyler Mahle (left hamstring strain)...made his third start in place of injured LHP Alex Wood (low back soreness)...made his fourth start in place of RHP Trevor Bauer (illness)...While pitching in relief, 10 times threw more than 1.0 inning, 4 times threw 2.0 innings and on 7/30 vs Pit threw a season-high 2.2 innings out of the bullpen...Retired the first batter in 13 of his 20 relief apps and stranded 9 of 13 inherited runners...Made his first appearance for the Reds in an 11-6 win on 5/28 vs Pit...in the club's 55th game of the season became only the sixth different Reds starting pitcher...was the latest in a season the Reds used a sixth starting pitcher since 2012, when in that year's 121st game (on 8/18), RHP Todd Redmond started the night game of a DH vs the Cubs...in that 2012 NL Central Division championship season, Homer Bailey (33), Johnny Cueto (33), Mat Latos (33), Bronson Arroyo (32) and Mike Leake (30) made 161 of the team's 162 starts...was optioned back to Louisville following the next afternoon's game and pitched for the Bats until his second promotion on 7/18...In the 11-6 win on 5/8 vs Pit threw 7.1 innings with 9 strikeouts, both career highs...was the longest outing by a Reds pitcher until Sonny Gray threw 8.0 innings on 7/3 in the club's 84th game...took a 3-hit shutout into the eighth inning before Kevin Newman hit Sims' 100th and final pitch for a grand slam, the first homer of Newman's career.
2018
On 7/30 was acquired from the Braves, along with RHP Matt Wisler and OF Preston Tucker, in exchange for LF Adam Duvall...the next day was optioned to Louisville, where he made 5 starts before he was promoted to the Reds as a September callup...made all 3 of his apps for the Reds in relief before he became hampered by a right teres major strain...for the Reds, appeared in games on 9/2 at StL, 9/5 at Pit and 9/9 vs SD...didn't pitch again after 9/9...on 9/1 was promoted from Louisville, along with IF Blake Trahan (TRUH-haw)...on 9/2 at StL became the 32nd pitcher to appear for the Reds, tying the 2016 franchise record for pitchers in a season.
2017
Made his major league debut on 8/1 vs. LAD after beginning the season in Triple-A Gwinnett's rotation…Finished the season in the Braves rotation after also working in relief for Atlanta... Tossed 6.0 innings and allowed three runs, earned, and six hits with no walks in his MLB debut on 8/1 vs. LAD after the team recalled him from the G-Braves earlier in the day...Became just the fifth starter in Atlanta franchise history to not walk a batter in as many innings during his MLB debut...Also become the first starter in Atlanta franchise history (since 1966) to make his debut against Los Angeles (NL)... Sims and INF Ozzie Albies both made their MLB debuts on 8/1, becoming the first pair of Braves teammates to be in the starting lineup of their first big league game since RHP Al Santorini and C Walt Hriniak on 9/10/68 vs. SF... Earned his first career win in his fourth career start on 8/17 at COL...Allowed two earned runs through 5.0 innings... Worked out of the bullpen for four appearances, 9/7-16…Did not receive a decision out of the bullpen while compiling a 4.26 ERA (3 ER/6.1 IP)... Returned to the rotation for his final three appearances of the season, starting on 9/20 vs. WSH…Took a no-decision after going 5.0 innings and allowing one run in a 7-3 loss... Went 3-6 with a 5.79 ERA (33 ER/51.1 IP) in 10 starts... Righties hit .341 (15-for-44) with a .614 slugging percentage and three home runs against him in his first three starts…Then limited them to a .241 (20-for-83) average and four homers over his final 11 appearances... Compiled a 3.49 ERA (11 ER/28.1 IP) in seven home games, four starts…Pitched to a 7.67 ERA (25 ER/29.1 IP) in seven road games, six starts... Until his recall to Atlanta's active roster, spent the entire season with Triple-A Gwinnett...Led Gwinnett in starts (tied, 19), innings (115.1) and strikeouts (132). At the time of his recall, his 132 strikeouts were most in the International League, tied for eighth most in MiLB and led all Atlanta minor leaguers... Named an International League Mid-Season All-Star after going 6-4 with a 3.98 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 17 starts prior to the break... Issued a career-low 2.8 walks per 9.0 innings (36 BB/115.1 IP) with the G-Braves, after walking a career-most 5.9 batters per 9.0 in 2016... Ranked as the No. 14 prospect in Atlanta's system by Baseball America entering 2017, and as the No. 19 farmhand in the Braves chain, according to MLB.com.
2016
Entered ranked as the Braves' 13th-best prospect according to Baseball America...The publication said he possessed the system's best curveball...Split the season between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett, going a combined 7-11 with a 4.40 ERA (69 ER/141.0 IP) in 28 games, 27 starts…Struck out 159, the most among all Atlanta minor leaguers and tied for fifth most in MiLB…His strikeout total marked the most by an Atlanta minor leaguer since 2012, when RHP Aaron Northcraft fanned 160...Walked 92, the fourth most in all of the minor leagues...His 28 games tied his career-high total, done twice before and last in 2014 with High-A Lynchburg...Started the season with the M-Braves, making three starts and going 0-2 with a 1.84 ERA (3 ER/14.2 IP) and 26 strikeouts...Made his Triple-A debut on 4/23, dropping a 7-1 decision at Columbus after allowing two runs in 5.0 innings...Fanned 11 in his next start, a 7.0-inning, one-run no-decision on 4/28 at Toledo...Compiled a 9.24 ERA (39 ER/38.0 IP) over his next nine games, eight starts, 5/3-6/15...Returned to Double-A on 6/16 and went 5-3 with a 2.83 ERA (24 ER/76.1 IP) over his final 14 starts...Went 18.2 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, 7/23-8/8.
