As hard as the Reds have been hit by injury this season, they haven't reached the levels of other teams in recent years. And the Reds often have come back stronger in following years.

DISABLED LIST

• 5/31: LHP Dennys Reyes, 15-day DL, tightness in left forearm   • 5/31: RHP John Riedling, 60-day DL, strained right shoulder   • 5/27: RHP John Riedling, 15-day DL,strained right shoulder   • 5/18: SS Barry Larkin, 15-day DL, sore groin   • 5/15: 3B Aaron Boone, 15-day DL, broken hand   • 5/14: RHP Scott Winchester, activated from 15-day DL   • 5/11: RHP Pete Harnisch, 15-day DL, tendinitis in right elbow, retroactive to 5/8.   • 4/29: CF Ken Griffey Jr., 15-day DL with partial tear in left hamstring (had been listed day-to-day since straining it 3/26).   • 4/15: RHP Scott Winchester, 15-day DL with strained oblique muscle on left side.   • 4/04: RHP Scott Williamson, 60-day DL, tendinitis in right shoulder; Tommy John surgery needed   • 3/21: RHP Seth Etherton, 60-day DL, right shoulder injury

PLAYING HURT

• INF Donnie Sadler, bruised knee, day-to-day.   • 2B Pokey Reese, sore middle finger and thumb, day-to-day.   • OF Dmitri Young, sore knee, day-to-day.   • 1B Sean Casey, back strain, day-to-day.

        This season, the Reds have had nine players on the disabled list, including the current group of three starting position players (shortstop Barry Larkin, third baseman Aaron Boone and center fielder Ken Griffey Jr.) and five key pitchers (right-handers Pete Harnisch, Seth Etherton, Scott Williamson and John Riedling and left-hander Dennys Reyes).

        Though some will return sooner than others, their collective absence won't help the Reds rebound from a franchise-worst 6-22 May record.

        But they had 12 different players go on the DL in 1989, 12 again in 1991, 15 in 1993 and 14 in 1997. Just last year, though “only” 10 different players were disabled, the projected starting lineup was limited to a mere 14 games together.

        After finishing 75-87 in 1989, the Reds came back in 1990 to win the World Series. They followed their 74-88 record in 1991 with a respectable 90-72 showing

        in 1992. Their 73-89 slump in 1993 preceded strike-shortened 1994, when the Reds led the National League Central with a 66-48 mark before play stopped.

        But a 76-85 record in 1997 was followed by 77-85 in 1998, when the Reds were rebuilding.

        Though injuries weaken a team's short-term prospects, they can strengthen a roster for the long haul, Larkin said. He missed most of the second half of the 1989 season with an elbow injury. The 15-year veteran has survived, or been part of, every wave of Reds injuries since.

        “It actually builds the character of a team,” Larkin said. “People who aren't used to playing every day have to perform. And they learn how to perform. That's good experience for them.

        “When they get back to the role they're accustomed to, they're that much better. They've faced that closer in the ninth inning. They've had to face the No.1 pitcher. Or they've had to do something in a situation — like move a runner over — that they're not accustomed to doing.”

        To an extent, this is happening with the current Reds, who open a 14-day, 12-game, four-city trip tonight in St. Louis.

        The arm troubles suffered by Williamson, who's out for the season, and Harnisch, who could be activated sometime this month, have hastened the development of rookie right-handers Chris Reitsma and Brian Reith. Manager Bob Boone has said he considers Reitsma and Reith his top two starters in the rotation now.

        Of course, the long-term effects of the Reds' injuries also will depend on the severity of the problems.

        Though Griffey (torn left hamstring) and Larkin (strained right groin), the two most prominent disabled Reds, are expected to recover fully, questions remain. The volatility of hamstring injuries will put Griffey on guard against recurrences for the rest of his career. And being 37 could impede the healing of Larkin, who has been bothered by his groin since spring training and watched his fielding — then his hitting — deteriorate.

        Pitching injuries tend to convey a sense of danger. But the Reds' medical staff has helped resuscitate the careers of relievers Mark Wohlers (elbow) and Scott Winchester (shoulder), among others. Throughout baseball, torn ligaments, frayed tendons and the like no longer have to threaten pitchers' careers.

        This bodes well for Williamson, Etherton, Reyes and Riedling, all of whom are 25 or younger. One caveat: They must make arm maintenance part of their lives.

        “Every player we've had who's had a significant injury and gone through the rehabilitation process has made it a part of his routine,” Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek said.

        As painful as fifth place is to the Reds, it eliminates temptation to push a player's recovery rate past normal limits. Riedling's transfer from the 15-day to the 60-day DL is a good example.

        “This gives us an opportunity to be smart about a 25-year-old kid who has all the ability in the world,” Kremchek said of Riedling. “There's no rushing or feeling of urgency.”

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