Fate placed Chris Reitsma and Tim Naehring in neighboring beds one day in July 1997, as both awoke from surgery in a Boston hospital. Their careers were threatened. In fact, Naehring, the Boston Red Sox's starting third baseman, would never play again after hurting his shoulder.

        Reitsma and Naehring again are aligned on similar paths. But the story has changed.

        Acquired from the Red Sox with left-hander John Curtice in the Aug.31 Dante Bichette trade, Reitsma has recovered from a broken elbow to entrench himself in the Reds' pitching plans. Now Cincinnati's farm director, Naehring will make sure Reitsma's path to Cinergy Field is paved as smoothly as possible.

        Reitsma has hastened his progress by excelling in the Arizona Fall League. Used exclusively as a starter since the Red Sox took him in the 1996 amateur draft, Reitsma switched to relief this fall and owned a 1.71 ERA entering the weekend, fifth-best in the league, in 11 appearances for the Grand Canyon Rafters. Reitsma had only four walks and 16 strikeouts in 21 innings.

        Naehring said Reitsma will continue to start if he opens next season in the minors. Given the right-hander's Arizona efforts, that's a bit of an assumption.

        “Some of our people feel he can be a set-up guy right now in the major leagues,” Naehring said. “That (starting) is our plan with him, but plans change. It's a matter of what the needs are at the major-league level. We don't rush players, but if he's knocking on the door to be a major-leaguer, then we'll switch our plans.”

        Reitsma, 22, has begun to regain the velocity he lost after his elbow literally snapped in half while he was throwing in '97. That required insertion of two 11-inch screws to help the bone heal. He suffered a stress fracture the following year, limiting him to 62ô innings in those two seasons.

        Once able to throw regularly around 95-97 mph, Reitsma said he typically reaches 92-93 mph with his fastball. As is the case with many pitchers, he has survived by improving his off-speed deliveries.

        “This whole year has been a real blessing for me, just to be healthy and let my ability come through,” said Reitsma, who was 10-6 with a 3.03 ERA in 25 regular-season starts at Single- and Double-A.

        It's not what either man expected that day in the hospital recovery room.

        “It's quite ironic,” said Naehring, “how different paths are taken.”

Big Red Machine still big with fans Reitsma has future in rotation Medical reports encouraging

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