Ken Griffey Jr., who returned to the lineup Tuesday after missing eight games, is still slightly slowed bythe right hamstring injury he suffered June7.

Ken Griffey Jr. goofs around with his dad during batting practice. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        “He feels better,” said Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek. “Is he 100 percent? Probably not. He's good enough to hit, run the bases and play center field. We put him through a lot (Monday), and he looked and felt good.”

        The final decision to play was Griffey's.

        “He's ready to go when he says he's ready to go,” Kremchek said. “With hamstrings, you never know.”

        Griffey will have to deal with the injury for the rest of the year. He has been told to take it easy.

        “That's hard to do,” Boone said. “You want to stretch a single into a double. But we've all done it at some point.”

        When Griffey returned from his previous knee injury, Boone played him every other day, then two of every three. There is no plan like that this time.

        “We're going to take it day to day,” Boone said.

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