By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

By shelving Triple-A Louisville pitcher Brandon Claussen for the remainder of the season, the Reds hope the young lefthander will be rested and ready come spring training.

Claussen, who had Tommy John elbow surgery in June 2002 and was the Yankees' offering in the Aaron Boone trade last month, was 4-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 106 1/3 innings over 17 total starts this season.

He went 0-1 with a 7.47 ERA, six walks and 16 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings at Louisville.

"It's not going to hurt anything," Reds assistant general manager Brad Kullman said. "Not to say he's in the starting rotation next year, but there's no reason why he can't come to spring training with the expectation that he has an excellent shot of opening the season in the major-league starting rotation.

"That's what he's going home to prepare for right now."

EXTENDED SEASON: The Reds will send four pitchers and two position players to the Arizona Fall League.

Single-A Dayton pitcher Kyle Edens and Louisville pitchers David Gil, Brian Shackelford and Joe Valentine will join Double-A Chattanooga catcher Dane Sardinha and Reds outfielder Wily Mo Pena to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions.

Louisville manager Rick Burleson will manage the team. Play begins Sept. 30.

Pena played in three AFL games last season before tearing his left hamstring. He batted .286 with one homer and five RBI.

MONTHLY HONOR: Third baseman Habelito Hernandez was named the Topps Player of the Month for the Pioneer League.

Hernandez, who since has been promoted from Rookie Billings to Single-A Dayton, batted .384 with five homers and 26 RBI in July.

The Reds signed Hernandez as a non-drafted free agent in 2000.

ODDS AND ENDS: Entering Thursday, Louisville had used 72 players (37 pitchers, 35 hitters) this season. . . . Dayton pitcher Justin Gillman was placed on the disabled list with a pulled groin last week. He is 0-3 with a 3.96 ERA in seven games. . . . Chattanooga pitcher Ty Howington, who spent most of the season at Single-A Potomac, was 0-2 with a 11.81 ERA in his first two games for the Lookouts. . . . Pitcher Tyler Pelland, the player to be named in the trade that sent Reds reliever Scott Williamson to Boston, made his organizational debut Wednesday. The left-hander threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings for the Gulf Coast Reds.