By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Sunday's game

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Aaron Boone will return to third base and Juan Castro and Ryan Freel will share second base for at least the next two weeks, after which the Reds expect to have both Barry Larkin and Russell Branyan on the roster.

At that time, Reds manager Bob Boone said, "We'll have a lot of options."

But until then, Aaron Boone is back at the hot corner.

Changing a player's position three weeks into the season is radical.

"You worry about how it will affect their offense," Bob Boone said. "It's pretty dramatic, but we're at dramatic times."

Still, Reds general manager Jim Bowden wouldn't go so far as to call the move desperate.

"We all know that Aaron is a Gold Glove caliber third baseman in the past," Bowden said. "He and Scott Rolen are the best in the league. We know putting him back at third base upgrades there."

Boone was moved to second in the offseason to open up third for Brandon Larson.

But Larson struggled so badly, both offensively (.083, four singles in 47 at-bats), and defensively (four errors, many misplays), the Reds sent him to Triple-A Louisville.

"I would have liked to have given Larson more time," Bob Boone said. "But with the team not winning, you don't have that luxury."

"We tried to give him an opportunity here," Bowden said. "We gave him as much rope as we could give him."

Castro, known as a light hitter and slick fielder, is swinging the bat as well as any Red right now.

He extended a streak of reaching base to six plate appearances Sunday, including five hits. He's hitting .538 overall.

"Hopefully, he'll keep swinging like he's been swinging," Boone said.

If that's the case, Castro will play the majority of the time at second until Larkin returns. Larkin will be eligible on Friday. At that time, Felipe Lopez could play second and Boone third, or vice versa.

Branyan, who is rehabbing, is expected to be ready in two weeks, and will give the Reds even more flexibility.

The Reds are off today, then open a three-game series at home against Los Angeles.

FREEL GOOD STORY: Freel arrived in time for Sunday's game.

He entered in the ninth as a pinch-runner for Sean Casey.

That's going to be a big part of Freel's role.

"He gives us another element off the bench," Bowden said. "When you're struggling, you sometimes need someone who can manufacture runs. Pinch run, steal a base, steal another base, score on a sac fly."

Sunday, Freel stayed at first while Austin Kearns struck out.

Basically, Freel was an expensive spectator here. An Internet search showed it cost the Reds over $1,700 to get him from Durham, where he'd been playing, to San Juan.

Freel, 27, has played in nine major league games over his nine-year pro career. He hit .273 in 22 at-bats for Toronto in 2001.

Freel made a big impression on the Reds in spring training. He hit .353 with four steals in 11 games.

"He's a gamer," Bowden said. "He's got great makeup. He can run, bunt, steal a base. He plays different positions. He's a hard-nosed kid. He's a player whose intangibles are probably his best asset."

DUNN SITS - SORT OF: Adam Dunn, who has been troubled by shin splints since spring training, was out of the lineup Sunday because of them.

Dunn played both games of Saturday's doubleheader on the turf here.

He did pinch-hit and homer in the ninth inning Sunday.

"(The shins) are OK," he said. "They'll be fine once I get off this turf."

UP NEXT: The Reds are off today. They open a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. The Padres come in for a three-game weekend series.