By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

LOS ANGELES - John Bale knows his start for tonight's game against the San Diego Padres could be the beginning of something big.

"I'm going to try to seize the moment," Bale said. "Hopefully, I can take advantage of it and open some eyes."

It is the first big-league start for Bale, a 28-year-old left-hander.

Given the Reds' situation - they've lost three starters in the past week - he'll likely get a few more starts if he pitches reasonably well.

"I think I have the chance to stick around for a while," he said.

With Jose Acevedo going on the disabled list Thursday after spraining his ankle Wednesday, the Reds are down to two healthy starters - Danny Graves and Paul Wilson. Ryan Dempster and Jimmy Haynes went on the DL last week.

Reliever Scott Sullivan took Acevedo's place on the roster.

Aaron Harang will make his Reds' debut Saturday. Cincinnati's fifth starter's spot remains open, and the Reds don't need to fill it until Aug. 16. Right now, the leading candidates for the spot are minor-leaguers Josh Hall and Seth Etherton.

Bale will get two starts before Aug. 16, giving him time to establish himself.

This is Bale's eighth year in professional baseball. Before his two-inning outing for the Reds Sunday, all 17 of his big-league outings had been in the American League for Toronto and Baltimore.

He said he remembers facing Mark Kotsay in the Olympic Trials in 1996 and Gary Mathew Jr. in spring training.

"Other than that, I haven't faced anyone (on the Padres)," Bale said. "That could work to my advantage."

Bale's father, John Sr., made the West Coast trip and will get a chance to see his son make his first start.

JUNIOR TALK: Brian Goldberg, Ken Griffey Jr.'s agent, said he and Griffey were never told the Reds were talking about trading Griffey to the New York Yankees before the trade deadline.

"We never heard anything from the Reds," Goldberg said. "But some members of the national media mentioned it to me and Junior."

Former general manager Jim Bowden, in an appearance on ESPN July 31, confirmed that talks with the Yankees had gone on.

Goldberg wasn't surprised.

Bowden, after all, didn't tell Griffey until after the fact that he had an offseason trade worked out with San Diego that would have sent Griffey to the Padres

The Griffey-to-New York talk ended with Griffey's season-ending ankle injury.

Goldberg said Griffey is doing well after his shoulder surgery Monday.

"He's fine," Goldberg said. "He went in (Thursday) and had it checked out."

GOOD NEWS: The MRI Acevedo had done in Cincinnati did not reveal a fracture. His ankle injury was classified as just a sprain.

"He'll be in a boot and on crutches for a week," trainer Mark Mann said. "Dr. (Tim) Kremchek thinks it will be two to three weeks before he's back, probably closer to three."

The prognosis for a broken ankle would have been six weeks, Mann said.

LARKIN OK: Barry Larkin, who left Wednesday's game after irritating scar tissue around the hernia he had repaired two years ago, is OK.

He was not in the lineup Thursday because of a planned day off.

"It's not big deal," Larkin said. "It's one of those nagging things I have to put up with. I plan on playing today."

LATE SCRATCH: Russell Branyan, in the lineup Thursday, was scratched with a sore right ankle.

Branyan hasn't started since spraining it a week ago.