Wednesday, July 29, 1998

BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer

An MRI on Reds pitcher Pete Harnisch late Tuesday night was negative, confirming the original diagnosis of a stained right triceps, and he'll be listed as day-to-day.

Manager Jack McKeon and pitching coach Don Gullett noticed the injury during the third inning of Tuesday's 13-1 crushing of the Braves and decided to take Harnisch out of the game. He gave up one run (unearned) in three innings of work and is expected to miss at least one start, maybe more.

"We didn't want to take a chance," McKeon said. "He'd gave gone back out there if he could. You'd like to see him go five innings and get the win, but we've got too much at stake. He might have to miss a turn, but it's better than four or five."

McKeon said Harnisch didn't mention the pain, but it was too obvious for the coaching staff to ignore.

"He'd have gone out and pitched if we didn't say something to him," McKeon said.

Even with Harnisch not on the disabled list, the Reds are expected to make a roster move to add a pitcher to the bullpen, bringing up Todd Williams from Indianapolis Wednesday. The corresponding roster move will probably be a position player, perhaps outfielder Pat Watkins, who was just recalled Monday.

Bere throws live

Jason Bere, whose spot in the Reds starting rotation will be waiting for him when he's ready, got his first taste of live hitting in almost a month when he threw batting practice Tuesday.

With most of the Reds' brain trust looking on, Bere, who was signed to a minor league contract last week after being released by the White Sox, threw about 75 pitches to hitters Dmitri Young, Melvin Nieves and Paul Konerko.

"I see some improvement since the first day I threw in San Francisco" last Friday, Bere said. "It was definitely a good workout."

Pitching coach Don Gullett has Bere on a normal five-day rotation schedule, even though the 27-year old right-hander won't be ready to pitch in a game for a week and a half at the earliest. He'll throw in the bullpen in between now and Sunday, his next scheduled batting practice session and won't be ready to take his place in the starting rotation until at least Aug. 7.

"He has to get his breaking ball down," Gullett said. "He's much better with his fastball. His problem is a stiff front leg on the front side (of his throwing motion). It's a matter of getting a feel for it (and softening his leg) on the front side so he can get his breaking ball over for strikes."

Injury update

Young was back in left field Tuesday after missing five games with a sore shoulder, but catcher Brook Fordyce remains on the disabled list (also with a shoulder injury) even though he was eligible to come off Tuesday.

"We'll probably get him a couple more days," Reds manager Jack McKeon said, adding that Fordyce probably won't be activated before the road trip that starts Friday. "He's pretty close. If not, we'll take another three or four days."

The Reds aren't going to rush Fordyce back because Guillermo Garcia has been doing a credible job (including a double and the game-tying tun Monday) as Eddie Taubensee's backup.

Up next

Going on three days rest, Reds right-hander Steve Parris (1-1, 4.40) opposes Braves right-hander John Smoltz (9-2, 3.20) in a 7:05 p.m. EDT start tonight at Cinergy Field.

In his last start, Saturday at San Francisco, Parris went just four innings and allowed four runs before he was pulled for a pinch-hitter in an eventual Reds win.