By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Battling for a big-league job is tough enough. But Jose Guillen has found it a lot tougher with two sore feet.

Guillen, who is trying to make the Reds as an extra outfielder, has ingrown toenails on both feet.

"They're killing me," he said. "I felt pretty good (Friday morning) and then I tried to run and they started bleeding."

Guillen put off seeing a podiatrist.

"I'm going to give it a couple more days and see how it feels," he said.

Guillen says the Reds told him he'd be the fourth outfielder. But he has come to realize how tight spots on the roster are.

Reggie Taylor, Wily Mo Pena and Ruben Mateo are out of options. It's very unlikely that all three and Guillen, who has a non-guaranteed contract, will make the team.

So Guillen is reluctant to sit out, particularly when playing time is available as it is now because the regulars play only three or four innings this early in the spring.

"I'm doing the best I can do," Guillen said.

He started the Reds' first exhibition game as the designated hitter, going 1-for-3 against the New York Yankees.

He did not play Friday or Saturday. Sitting out was tough.

"You've got to show what you can do," he said.

Luke Hudson was working with a handicap in his first outing of the spring. His arm was a little stiff.

"It's something I go through every spring," he said.

Hudson, who is trying to win a spot on the pitching staff, didn't have the benefit of his usual 95 mph fastball. It topped out at 92.

But Hudson came out of the outing OK. His line in the box score: one inning, no runs, no hits, one walk.

"I felt all right," he said. "But I felt like I could have done better. I didn't feel 100 percent. But I was able to battle through."

All the trouble Hudson got in was of his own making. He walked the first man he faced, B.J. Garbe, after getting up in the count 0-2. Hudson then got Luis Rivas to pop out to third.

But Garbe went to third when Hudson's pick-off throw to first baseman Pena was wild. "That wasn't the smartest play," Hudson said. "I tried to do too much. I should have just kept him close."

But Hudson got Cristian Guzman to fly out to left and ended the inning by getting Michael Cuddyer to ground out.

With that, Hudson was done for the day. Not a bad outing for a guy with a stiff arm.

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The Enquirer is following the progress of two Reds - Jose Guillen and Luke Hudson - who are battling for jobs on the 25-man roster.