By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Third baseman Brandon Larson will be examined and have an MRI done today on his aching left shoulder.

Larson re-aggravated an earlier injury suffered at Triple-A Louisville when he dived for a ball during Saturday's game.

"It's been a nagging injury all year," he said. "It's something I can play with and have been playing with. It was doing a lot better, and I really hadn't been bothered by it up until (Saturday).

"We'll just wait and see what happens, what the MRI shows."

Now in his third stint with the Reds this season, Larson continues to struggle offensively.

He is 3-for-32 with one homer and four RBI since being recalled Aug. 6 and is hitting .101 with nine RBI in 104 plate appearances overall this season.

It is a considerable contrast to the numbers he put up at Louisville - .323 with 20 homers and 74 RBI in 72 games.

"I don't understand it," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "I don't see them pitching him much different. They still have to throw the ball across the plate."

SECOND TIME AROUND: Before the Reds promoted him from Louisville Wednesday, Dernell Stenson had spent eight days in the major leagues.

During that stint with the Red Sox in 2000, however, he never batted.

"The opportunity didn't come up," Stenson said.

He's made the most so far of his chance with the Reds.

The outfielder went 2-for-3 and hit his first major-league home run Sunday. Starting the past two games in left field because of Adam Dunn's thumb injury, Stenson has gone 5-for-7 (.714) with three runs, two doubles and one home run.

"You've got to take what you can get," he said. "You never know how long you're going to be here."

ON SCHEDULE: Shortstop Barry Larkin, who has missed the past five games after re-aggravating scar tissue from a previous hernia surgery, is expected to be available when the Reds play Arizona Tuesday.

Larkin was examined by medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek and worked out before Sunday's game.

MINOR MATTERS: The Reds have to be pleased with the performance they're getting from pitchers acquired recently via trades. In his first start for Louisville, Matt Belisle tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings Saturday.

The right-hander, traded from the Braves in the Kent Mercker deal, allowed six hits and struck out four against Toledo.

Single-A Potomac pitcher Phil Dumatrait improved to 4-0 since the Red Sox traded him for reliever Scott Williamson.

The left-hander allowed one earned run on eight hits over seven innings against Myrtle Beach.

ODDS AND ENDS: Marco Davalillo, hitting coach for the Gulf Coast Reds, has replaced Onix Mercado as the Reds bullpen catcher.