FORT MYERS, Fla. — Scott Sullivan is just hoping for a healthy spring. Last year, he had a back problem. The year before it was a strained lat muscle. The year before that it was a pulled lat muscle. The year before that it was a strained glute muscle.

        “Hopefully, I can make it through healthy this year,” he said.

        So far, so good. Sullivan pitched one scoreless inning in the Reds' 9-7 win over the Boston Red Sox here Friday.

        Sullivan's back problems last year continued into the season. He was 1-1 with a 7.40 ERA in April, but he was 7-0 with a 2.70 ERA the rest of the way. His overall numbers — 7-1, 3.31 ERA — were enough to earn him the Johnny Vander Meer Award as the Reds' outstanding pitcher.

        The question is, what will Sullivan be able to do with a healthy spring?

        “I think I can be better,” he said. “For the last several years, April has been a tough month for me. Early in my career, I just got so keyed up for Opening Day. ... I put a lot of pressure on myself, pressing every time I went out there.”

        Last year's rough April was because of his back.

        “I was so hard-headed I wanted to be out there,” he said. "I wasn't going to say no.”

        Sullivan, a 30-year-old right-handed side-armer, has been the Reds' most reliable pitcher the last five years. He has averaged 105 innings a season over that span.

        Last year, he became the first pitcher to lead the major leagues in relief innings for four consecutive years.

        “You know he's going to be there,” Reds manager Bob Boone said. “He hasn't been a good spring training pitcher. But once he gets a lot of work, he gets sharper and sharper.”

        Sullivan would like to continue his streak of leading the big leagues in relief innings.

        “It would be nice,” he said. “I'm going to do as much as I can to help this team win — in any capacity.”

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