Sean Casey finds reason to laugh despite the cast on his right hand. (Michael E. Keating photos) | ZOOM |

        The Reds reacted the loss of first baseman Sean Casey from their lineup as if it were a loss in the standings — unfortunate, but not insurmountable.

        Casey suffered a chip fracture in the base of his right thumb on Saturday when he tried to field Will Clark's sharp ground ball during the exhibition finale against the Baltimore Orioles in Chattanooga, Tenn. The severity of the injury became clear Sunday, when Casey was placed on the 15-day disabled list. He is expected to miss two to three weeks.

        But that's better than the eight to 10 weeks Arizona third baseman Matt Williams (broken foot) will miss. It's better than Atlanta's John Smoltz, who's out for the season.

        Besides, if the Reds are as good as they intend to be, they should find a way to survive without Casey, despite the 1999 All-Star's importance as the team's No.5 hitter.

        Dmitri Young is expected to move from left field to start at first base in today's season opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. He started just six games at first last year but played 131 there from 1996-98. Hal Morris, currently bothered by a strained groin muscle, also will help replace Casey in the coming weeks.

        Michael Tucker, a left-handed batter, and right-handed Alex Ochoa are likely to platoon in left field whenever Young plays first. Tucker will start today, since right-hander Steve Woodard is starting for Milwaukee.

        First baseman D.T. Cromer, recalled from Triple-A Louisville to occupy Casey's roster spot, will primarily be used as a pinch-hitter.

Dmitri Young, who moves from LF, breaks in a first baseman's glove. | ZOOM |

        “Now's when you find one of the strengths of our team, and that's depth,” third baseman Aaron Boone said. “We're 14 (position players) deep. I think you could interchange a lot of us and not miss a beat. Obviously, we know what Case brings. But the fact that it's two weeks, in the grand scheme of things, isn't that big a deal. If it was a six- or eight-week thing, it would be a little bigger blow.”

        If anything, the Reds have been luckier than most teams recently. Though several starting pitchers had various injuries last year, none of the team's prominent everyday players went on the 15-day disabled list. Five players appeared in 146 games or more, and Boone would have joined the group had not for his early-season demo tion to Triple-A.

        With that in mind, Morris took a somewhat fatalistic view toward Casey's injury.

        “Last year, there weren't too many guys who went down. The odds were that something probably would happen this year,” Morris said. “Knock on wood, you hope it doesn't. But it was bound to happen at some point.”

        Casey, who hit .332 last year with 25 homers and 99 RBI, will have his thumb in a cast for 10-14 days. He'll then be fitted for a splint that will allow him to practice hitting.

        The Reds didn't learn the extent of Casey's injury until after he underwent an X-ray, a CAT scan and a magnetic resonance imaging examination (MRI) exam at Good Samaritan Hospital. Casey said he didn't leave the hospital until 1a.m. Sunday.

Michael Tucker, talking with Dante Bichette and Barry Larkin, will start in LF. | ZOOM |

        In what was the best-case scenario for the Reds, team physician Dr. Tim Kremchek said that the MRI showed no ligament damage to Casey's thumb. “It shouldn't be a nagging injury,” Kremchek said. “That's why we did extensive testing, so we were sure.”

        Casey was as cheerful as usual as he lumbered around the clubhouse to accept get-well wishes from teammates, some of whom reported for work unaware of his injury.

        Two events gave Casey some perspective: That horrific right eye injury he suffered on April 2, 1998 when Damian Jackson's practice throw accidentally hit him; and his experi ence as the 1999 Hutch Award winner, which put him in touch with cancer-stricken youths.

        His eye injury, which required repair of four bones, 20 stitches and insertion of a steel plate, was obviously much worse. “I've been through it before. That was more life-changing,” Casey said. “I don't think my thumb's going to change my life too much.”

        Even if it did, he said he'd remember the dying 7- and 8-year-olds he met in Seattle when he was honored with the Hutch Award.

        “I prayed a little bit this morning. I really thought of them,” Casey said. “I don't know why they came to my mind, but they did. In the baseball world, (the injury) might be a big deal. But in the whole scheme of life, it's not. I'm not depressed about it. It happened. It's something I just have to deal with and I'll be back playing strong.”

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