By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Danny Graves wants his arm fresh and his mind clear before he takes the mound again.

So, he asked for another day before pitching out of the bullpen.

"I needed the extra day," Graves said. "I want to feel really good before I go back to the bullpen. I'm trying to get my mind right after 25 miserable starts."

Graves thinks he'll be available today.

That gives him two more days of rest than he would have had between starts.

"I'm going into a role I haven't done in awhile," he said. "I have to be ready to pitch every day. I think the transition will be easier than going from relieving to starting."

Graves still leads the club in innings pitched with 163.

Graves' previous high was 111 innings in 1999.

Whether those innings hampered Graves' effectiveness remains to be seen. But his ERA as a Reds starter (5.30) was nearly two points higher than it was as a reliever (3.32).

He also gave up home runs at twice the rate.

"We want to make sure he's 100 percent when we send him out again," manager Dave Miley said of Graves' situation. "But we'll get him out there soon."

KEARNS UPDATE: Austin Kearns stopped by the clubhouse Wednesday, nearly two weeks removed from surgery on his right shoulder.

"It's sore," he said. "It's going slow. I do some range-of-motion stuff and a lot of ice and steam. Other than that, I sit on my butt all day."

Kearns said he expects to be able to do without a sling in about a week.

He has been an interested observer to what has happened with Reds.

There have been 69 player transactions since Kearns went on the disabled list July 17.

"It's been incredible," Kearns said. "I haven't been around that long, but I can't imagine stuff like this goes on a lot."

The Reds' stance has always been that Kearns and Adam Dunn are untouchable.

Kearns doesn't buy that.

"No," he said. "Not at all. If the right deal came along, I wouldn't say anyone's untouchable."

Kearns is supposed to begin throwing around Christmas. He should be 100 percent by spring training.

BRANYAN TODAY: Look for Russell Branyan to be activated from the disabled list today.

Branyan, who is coming back from a sprained right ankle, was in Cincinnati after playing two games on rehab assignment with Louisville.

NUMERICALLY SPEAKING: Jim Chamblee, a Red for two days, became the first player in franchise history to wear No. 64.

UNDER KNIFE: Brandon Larson will undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

FEELING FOR THE BATS: Miley, Louisville's former manager, feels for his old club.

The Bats went into Wednesday on a six-game losing streak. Their lead in the International League West was down to a half game - from a high of 11 1/2 games July 17.

A lot of that can be attributed to the number of callups by the Reds.

"We've hit them pretty hard," Miley said. "I've been there before."

The Reds were in a similar situation in 2001 when they were forced to rob the Louisville roster much like this year.

FARM REPORT: Right-hander Jeff Bruksch, the third player in the Jose Guillen trade with Oakland, gave up seven runs on eight hits in 2 1/3 innings in Single-A Potomac's 12-3 loss to Salem.

At Billings, right-hander James Paduch threw seven shutout innings, allowing four hits in the Mustangs' 5-0 win over Helena. Paduch, the 12th-round pick in June, is 7-1 with a 1.98 ERA.