MILWAUKEE — Ken Griffey Jr. will not join the Reds in St.Louis as planned for the four-game series that begins there Friday. The development is not a setback, just a further indication the Reds are going to be extremely cautious in bringing Griffey back.

        “He's not quite ready to go out and play center field most every day,” Reds medical director Dr.Tim Kremchek said. “He's made tremendous progress the last 10 days. He's doing extremely well. But he's not at that point yet.”

        Sunday marks six weeks from the day Griffey tore the patella tendon in his right knee. Kremchek originally said Griffey would be out three to six weeks but later said it would be closer to three than six.

        “That (was) just an educated guess,” Kremchek said Wednesday. “We're being cautious here. We don't want him to come back too soon.”

        Griffey has increased his activities over the past four days, but when he returns is Kremchek's call.

        “He's running, jumping, making quick stops and starts,” Kremchek said. “He's doing all those things pretty well.”

        Said manager Bob Boone: “They want him 100 percent. I'd take 86 and a half. Tim's a little nervous. He thinks Junior can accomplish more by staying at home and working with (physical therapist) Lonnie Soloff.”

        The earliest Griffey could be activated would be Tuesday, when the Reds open a three-game series with the Florida Marlins at Cinergy Field. But that's not a certainty.

        “I'm going to re-evaluate him this weekend,” Kremchek said. “Then we'll sit down together and see what we feel is best.”

        The way the Reds are playing factors into this. Austin Kearns, the player in the lineup because Griffey is out, entered Wednesday's game at Milwaukee hitting .375 with five home runs and 14 RBI in 23 games.

        “There's no pressure on me from management,” Kremchek said. “They want the best answer. They're not going to rush him.”

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