Austin Kearns wipes blood from his brow after being beaned Tuesday night. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        LOS ANGELES — Bob Boone said Austin Kearns looked good, but he was comparing Kearns to Rocky Balboa.

        Kearns did look as if he had taken a wicked right cross. His left eye was nearly swollen completely shut. That was the result of getting hit on the bill of his helmet by a pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Giovanni Carrara Tuesday.

        Kearns was not in the lineup for Wednesday night's game against the Dodgers.

        “I can barely see out of my left eye,” he said. “When somebody talks to me, I have to turn and look with my right eye.”

        Kearns had a CAT scan Wednesday. There were concerns about fractures around the eye, but it was normal.

        Kearns returned to the team hotel on the team bus. He stayed up icing the eye until 3 a.m.

        “I woke up at 8,” he said. “I was going to go back to sleep. But it was swollen shut. I thought, "I better get some ice in this.' It's a little better now.”

        Kearns hopes he'll be able to play tonight in Los Angeles.

        “But they're thinking it will probably be the first game in San Francisco,” he said.

        Kearns will be back in the lineup as soon as he's ready.

        “He'll let me know when he can play,” Boone said.

        Kearns is the Reds' hottest hitter. He had three singles before he was hit by the pitch Tuesday. The hits pushed his average to .455. The HBP meant he has reached base in 13 of his last 14 plate appearances (9-for-10, three walks, one HBP).

        Bad time to be out.

        “There's nothing you can do about it,” Kearns said. “I don't think there was any intent.”

Reds 4, Dodgers 0 Reds box, runs Larkin hits first HR since June Dodgers blanked for fifth time Williamson ready to defend teammates Kearns battered after beaning Miller pushing LaRue for starter's job Reds Notebook: Shaw talks back on Rockies 6, Pirates 0 Padres 4, Cubs 3 Mets 7, Diamondbacks 1 White Sox 9, Mariners 2

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