BRADENTON, Fla. - Brett Tomko is healthy and ready to pitch, but he can't get in a game - and that has the Reds' young gun miffed.
Tomko missed his scheduled appearance last Thursday with soreness in his right (pitching) shoulder and hasn't thrown since his only appearance a week and a half ago. He says he feels fine now and expected to pitch in relief in Thursday's game against Pittsburgh. But after warming up, he watched the rest of the game from the bullpen.
Because starter Dave Burba went seven innings and closer Jeff Shaw needed work, there wasn't room for Tomko.
''I want to get out there and pitch,'' Tomko said. ''It's frustrating watching other people throw. I felt good warming up. And I think I'm ready, and it's time for me to get out there and get in a game.'' But manager Jack McKeon isn't in any hurry to disrupt his rotation and says Tomko will have to wait until they can fit him in - even if it means getting some innings in at minor-league camp.
''We'll try to get him work,'' McKeon said. ''If not, we'll send him to minor-league camp and let him pitch there. It doesn't make a difference as long as he gets his innings in. I don't know (if he'll pitch Friday). (Mike) Remlinger's going to try to go seven innings, and we have to get (Scott) Sullivan and (Stan) Belinda some work. We can't afford to let those guys sit.''
But apparently, the Reds don't mind letting Tomko sit for a while. ''It's unfortunate he came up with a little tightness. He's had a setback,'' McKeon said.
Tomko, expected to be the Reds' top pitcher this season after a breakthrough 11-7 rookie year in 1997, doesn't believe it will be a setback.
''I'll be ready to start a game by the beginning of the season,'' he said.
McKeon has off-handedly suggested that if Tomko doesn't get some innings under his belt soon, he may be forced out of the rotation and into the bullpen. On Thursday McKeon said, ''We'll see where he is at the end of the spring, and if he's not ready, yeah, it's a possibility.'' When asked about going back to the pen, Tomko smiled and weighed his words carefully.
''He's the manager, and he has to make the decisions he has to make,'' Tomko said. ''I've had to fight for a job before, and I'll do it if that's what I have to do.''
ONE FINE DAY:
Don't expect major league baseball to fine the Reds anywhere near the $250,000 for the Pete Rose incident that was reported in Thursday's edition of USA Today.
Baseball is upset with the Reds for allowing Rose to speak to a group of minor-leaguers Wednesday, but a quarter-million dollar fine appears to be steep given the team's financial state. The Reds, as one of the lowest payroll teams in the league, simply couldn't afford it, and baseball is not likely to put the squeeze on an organization in such dire need of the little money it already has. The $250,000 is more than many of the Reds' players' salaries.
The Reds will submit their written report on incident today. Their say that letting Rose speak was an honest mistake that shouldn't be penalized.
POSITIVE SPIN:
Leave it to McKeon, ever the spin master, to look at Barry Larkin's injury as a good thing.
Certainly McKeon will miss Larkin, who will have surgery Friday to repair a degenerative disc problem in his neck that will put him out of action 4-to-6 weeks. But with McKeon, there's always a silver lining.
''It might be a blessing,'' McKeon said Thursday. ''Maybe if he gets it taken care of now, he can get it out of the way, and it won't be a long-term situation.''
Larkin's loss, however, does have McKeon a little down.
''It's disappointing,'' he said. ''You really geared yourself up for having a healthy Barry Larkin and a healthy Reggie Sanders and thought you could have a pretty strong ballclub. But we're fortunate to have a capable guy (Pokey Reese) to fill in.''
YOUNG AND RESTLESS:
Dmitri Young had a nine-game hitting streak snapped Thursday when he failed to get a hit in one at bat as a pinch hitter. He hit .400 (14 for 35) during the streak.
''I'm just finding holes and recognizing pitches. That's it,'' said Young, a switch-hitter who will back up Eduardo Perez at first and play some outfield this year.
KNIGHT'S PREDICTION:
Former Reds manager Ray Knight predicted on ESPN this week that Cincinnati would win 85 games this season.
''I hope he's right,'' McKeon said. ''He said that before we lost Larkin, right? We're going to try to win more than that. Eight-five wins isn't our goal.''
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