By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Friday's game

MIAMI - Russell Branyan is all the way back with the Reds - even if his arm isn't.

Branyan was activated in time for the Reds' series opener against the Florida Marlins.

Branyan has spent the last six months rehabbing from right shoulder surgery and spent the last week in Sarasota, Fla., at extended spring training.

"I feel good," he said. "But word is my shoulder won't be 100 percent until next year."

But, right now, it's good enough to play. "It was the right time to come back," he said. "I could have stayed down another five or six days, but I've played some games at third base and it felt good."

But he says it remains slightly weak. "He can't throw like he used to," Reds manager Bob Boone said. "He can get it across the diamond. But he doesn't have the pop he used to have."

The shoulder doesn't affect Branyan's swing. His primary role will be pinch hitting. He struck out in the 10th Friday night in that role.

"When I need a hit, I'm going to stick him in there and tell him: 'Go get a hit,' " Boone said.

Branyan hit .341 in 41 at-bats in a rehab stint with Triple-A Louisville.

He started 56 games for the Reds last year. He hit .244 with 16 home runs and 39 RBI in 217 at-bats.

He was not effective as a pinch hitter: 1-for-16 with no RBI.

Branyan can play right field, left field, first base and third base.

"He'll start some games," Boone said. "We want to keep him in some semblance of sharpness."

Boone, however, has no plans to start Branyan at third and move Aaron Boone back to second on any sort of permanent basis.

Branyan would have gotten a chance to play early in the season when Brandon Larson struggled at third.

"The way we started," Bob Boone said. "He would have played a lot at third."

BOBBLEHEAD FEVER: Friday night was Ryan Dempster Bobblehead Night at Pro Player Stadium.

The Marlins planned to give away the dolls last year when Dempster was a Marlin. But he was traded to the Reds

They decided to do it when he came to town with his new club.

One problem: Dempster is on the disabled list and did not make the trip.

ONLY KIDDING: This story about former manager Jack McKeon and general manager Jim Bowden showed up in some reporters' notes columns this weekend.

McKeon said that when he was in Cincinnati last weekend, Bowden told him: "The problem with you is that you won too many games and we couldn't afford you."

McKeon said the story was true but added, "I think he was kidding."

FREEL-ING BAD: Ryan Freel is projected to miss four to six weeks with a torn left hamstring.

"But that's just a guess," Boone said. "It will probably be longer than shorter."

Freel was hitting .380 in his second stint with the Reds when he suffered the injury warming up for Wednesday's game in Atlanta.

"It's really a shame," Boone said. "Here's a kid who kicked around the minors forever, he gets a chance to start in the big leagues and then that happens."

Freel, 27, had played a total of nine games in the majors in eight pro seasons before getting a shot with the Reds this year.

FARM REPORT: Triple-A Louisville beat Buffalo 6-5 in 10 innings Thursday. It was the Bats' 11th straight win, a franchise record.

UP NEXT: The Reds play the Marlins in the second game of the three-game series. Right-hander Danny Graves (3-3, 4.93) faces left-hander Dontrelle Willis (2-1, 4.50). The two faced each other Sunday. The Marlins won that one 6-2.