PITTSBURGH — The Reds lineup for Monday's game with the Pittsburgh Pirates looked a lot like a 2001 lineup: No Ken Griffey Jr., no Barry Larkin.

        Griffey's absence was expected. He went on the 15-day disabled list with a partially torn patella tendon in his right knee. He'll be out for three to six weeks.

        Larkin was a late scratch. He strained his rib cage on his left side before Sunday's game. He played, going 1-for-5 with a walk. He is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday.

        “I played after I did it (Sunday),” he said. “But with one guy already out, they didn't want to chance it. With an off day (today), it gives me two days.”

        Larkin strained the muscle during an early batting practice session.

        “Imagine me straining it hitting,” he said. “I've been hitting so well.”

        Larkin was being facetious. His hit in the ninth inning Sunday — he went on to score the tying run — was only his second in his last 22 at-bats.

        Larkin, 37, missed all but 45 games last year with a torn groin muscle and a sports hernia.

        This injury is unrelated to last year's problems.

        INSURANCE: If Ken Griffey Jr. misses the season, the Reds have an insurance policy to cover the bulk of his contract. Such policies are fairly standard with high-dollar, long-term contracts.

        MULLET-LESS: Danny Graves disappointed mullet lovers everywhere by getting a haircut.

        “I didn't expect all the hype,” he said. “I had a lot of dead hair, so she cut it off. I'm going to let it grow back. I'm going to get it as long as I can.”

        Graves says he won't approach the Randy Johnson's baseball-record mullet length.

        “You can do that when you're 6-10,” Graves said. “You can't when you're 5-10.”

        GETTING CLOSE: Juan Castro is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list Thursday. Castro says his strained left hamstring is near 100 percent.

        “I'm really feeling good,” he said.

        IN A PINCH: Reds' pinch-hitters have hits in five of the team's seven games. The pinch-hitters are 5-for-10 with three RBI on the year.

        Wilton Guerrero, the only pinch-hitter in Monday's game for the Reds, walked in the eighth inning. Guerrero drove in the tying run in a pinch-hitting role in Sunday's game.

        UP NEXT: The Reds are off today. They play the Pirates again on Wednesday. Right-hander Jose Acevedo (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will face right-hander Kip Wells (1-0, 3.60) in the 7:05 p.m. start.

Griffey's outlook better; no surgery for now Mateo will get chance while Griffey's out Pirates 1, Reds 0 Box, runs Reds Notebook: Larkin should be back Wednesday Pirates on best start since 1983

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