By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Austin Kearns will have surgery today to remove loose bodies from his left elbow.

Kearns underwent an MRI Sunday that confirmed what Saturday's X-rays showed.

Medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek will perform the surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati.

Reds general manager Jim Bowden insisted that the surgery be done today when trainer Mark Mann called to tell him the surgery was necessary.

"We missed the playoffs by one game in 1999," Bowden said. "I don't want to get to Opening Day and find out he can't play until the next day."

Kearns is expected to miss only seven to 10 days.

Danny Graves followed Kearns into the MRI tube Sunday. Graves is being bothered by a inflammation of the patella tendon in his right knee. "He's only going to miss one start," Bowden said.

The sore knee explains Graves' results. He allowed four runs on six hits in his start Saturday night.