SARASOTA, Fla. - Mark Hutton's groin pull is bad enough that he thinks it may require a stay on the disabled list.
''That's the way it looks,'' he said. ''I don't think I tore it, but it's pretty bad. We'll see.''
Hutton had to leave Tuesday's loss to Texas Rangers because of the injury.
''It got progressively worse,'' he said. ''Then after the last pitch, I thought I better quit.''
Hutton, the 28-year-old right-hander who came from Colorado in the Curtis Goodwin trade, was 0-2 with a 2.76 ERA.
''It's frustrating,'' Hutton said. ''That's the word I'd use.'' General Manager Jim Bowden said if Hutton is disabled, Ricardo Jordan will take his spot on the roster.
''Ricardo has pitched well enough to make the team,'' Bowden said. ''It's numbers. He's the 12th pitcher.''
Jordan, a 27-year-old left-hander, has allowed no runs and two hits in 8ö innings.
''I'd love to go north,'' Jordan said. ''We'll see what happens. The last thing you want to happen is a teammate getting hurt.''
Shaw unworried
Closer Jeff Shaw has not had a great spring. He is 1-2 with a 5.02 ERA and no saves.
But he said he's throwing the ball well.
''That's the key,'' he said. ''I don't think I've had the results for two reasons: It's spring training and I don't know the hitters.''
Shaw was 4-2 with a 2.38 ERA and 42 saves last year. Nearly every one of his 78 appearances came with the game on the line. That hasn't been the case this spring.
''Last (Tuesday) night, I came in and we were down 7-2,'' he said. ''That adrenaline rush isn't there.''
Shaw has gotten a lot of reassurance.
''My dad and Gully (pitching coach Don Gullett) have been telling me it doesn't matter if you give up 100 runs down here,'' Shaw said, ''as long as you're ready when the bell rings.''
Nieves update
Melvin Nieves was ready to suggest the Reds put him on the DL when they did.
''I was waiting for them to make the move,'' he said. ''I'm not ready. This is like my first or second week in spring training. I feel good physically, but I'm just getting started with baseball.''
\
Nieves played outfield for the first time Wednesday, in a minor league game. He thinks he'll be ready to join the team by April 7, the first day he's eligible to come off the DL.
Nieves will go home to Detroit for the weekend to visit his son, Brandon, in the hospital, then return to play with Cincinnati's Triple-A team in Sarasota beginning Monday. Brandon has had four heart surgeries since his birth last Aug. 1.
''His heart is fine,'' Nieves said. ''But he's having respiratory problems.''
Nieves is hoping to transfer Brandon to Children's Hospital in Cincinnati.
His wife, Wendy, is staying with Brandon in Detroit, while their other children - Brandon's twin Jacob and 4-year-old Alex - are with their grandparents in North Carolina.
''It's been very hard on her (Wendy),'' Nieves said.
Larkin's new doctor
Barry Larkin won't take batting practice until Saturday. He had planned on taking some Tuesday.
''But Dr. Ken Griffey Sr. wouldn't let me,'' Larkin said.
Larkin, who had surgery to repair a protruding disc in his neck March 13, is still hopeful about returning by April 7. Griffey had similar surgery during his career, and thus advised Larkin to wait.
Rookie trio set for shot
Twins 3, Reds 0
SPRING TRAINING STORIES
REDS PAGE
