By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The development of outfielder Wily Mo Pena's talent has started again.

The Reds sent Pena, who is out of minor league options since he signed a major league contract in 1998, to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday to begin a rehabilitation assignment.

Pena, whose raw talent is what led the Reds to keep him on their 25-man roster this season, strained his right hamstring while running down the first baseline July 4 and was placed on the 15-day disabled list the following day.

He was hitting .086 in 35 at-bats and had started just two games for Cincinnati this season,

"He needs to play," said Tim Naehring, Reds director of player development. "He's got to just see the ball, get some at-bats under his belt and play."

Per Major League Baseball's rules, Pena is allowed 20 days for a rehab assignment.

The 21-year-old likely will rejoin the Reds when rosters expand in September.

After the season, he'll play in the Florida Instructional League, Arizona Fall League and Dominican Winter League, before heading to spring training.

"We're hoping the hamstring will be fine," Naehring said. "He's going to go through some soreness with it and some normal baseball soreness from playing every day. His body hasn't had to do that in a while. It's just going to be good for him to get some consistent at-bats."

TRAVELING MAN: When the Reds optioned infielder Ray Olmedo to Double-A Chattanooga on July 13, they did so knowing he wouldn't be there long.

Triple-A Louisville was on its All-Star break at the time.

So after two games at Chattanooga, where he batted .375 with one RBI, Olmedo was promoted to Louisville on Thursday.

AN HONOR: The Class A Dayton Dragons last week received a PRISM Award in the minor-league category from the Sports Business Daily and the University of Mass.-Amherst's Sports Management Department.

The Dragons were recognized for "excellence in five categories: strategic planning, innovative marketing, community relations, customer service and employee relations."

The Houston Texans received a PRISM Award in the professional category.

ODDS AND ENDS: Ben Himes, a ninth-round pick in June and an outfielder with Rookie Billings, hit a pair of three-run homers and drove in seven runs total in a game against Great Falls on Tuesday. . . . Gulf Coast Reds catcher Jeff Urgelles, a 26th round pick in June, doubled five times in an 18-13 loss against the GCL Twins on Thursday. Only three other minor-league players in the past 10 years have hit five doubles in a game.