One day after nearly igniting a bench-clearing brawl, Reds reliever Manny Aybar went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right groin muscle.

        Trainer Greg Lynn said he wasn't sure whether Aybar injured himself while running the bases or pushing off his right leg to deliver a pitch. Aybar was ejected from Saturday's game after hitting Arizona's Tony Womack with a fifth-inning pitch, which angered the Diamondbacks.

        To replace Aybar, the Reds purchased the contract of right-hander Andy Larkin from Triple-A Louisville.

        Larkin was 3-8 with a 9.15 ERA in 18 games as a starter and reliever for the Florida Marlins in 1996 and 1998. For Louisville, he was 1-0 with a 2.59 ERA in 27 relief appearances.

        “When he first came to the big leagues, he looked like he had a pretty good future,” Reds manager Jack McKeon said. But poor control (59 walks in 79ö major-league innings) halted his progress.

        Larkin, who began his professional career in 1992, was surprised to be summoned to Cincinnati.

        “I didn't think this was going to happen,” said Larkin, 26. “There were a lot of guys throwing well down there.”

        Larkin pitched two shutout innings, allowing one hit.

        Larkin is not related to shortstop Barry Larkin.

        WHY NOT WOHLERS? McKeon explained that Mark Wohlers, among others, was bypassed for promotion because the Reds needed a pitcher who could work more than one inning, as Aybar did.

        “Right now, you're looking at Wohlers as a one-inning guy,” McKeon said. “Gully (pitching coach Don Gullett) has been saying all along that it's going to take him some time to get it right.”

        Wohlers pitched an inning in Louisville's 6-2 loss Saturday night at Columbus, allowing an unearned run. He's 1-2 with a 6.91 ERA in 12 appearances for the RiverBats.

        DESSENS ON DECK: McKeon indicated that Elmer Dessens, who performed capably as a fill-in starter last Wednesday against St. Louis, could spend more time in the rotation if the Reds' rocky pitching continues.

        OTHER LARKIN: Shortstop Barry Larkin said he would have a concrete idea about the fate of his request for a contract extension by the All-Star break.

        With one week to go before the break, Larkin said that the issue still looked indefinite.

        “No news,” said Larkin, “is no news.”

        Larkin may have helped his cause with a 4-for-4 performance Sunday that included three runs and two doubles. He lifted his average from .314 to .326.

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