By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Reds pitching coach Don Gullett looks at Ryan Wagner and sees a little bit of himself.

Like Wagner, Gullett was a hard thrower who ascended to the major leagues at a young age after a brief stay in the minor leagues.

He spent his first year in the bullpen before being converted into a starter who would post a 109-50 record before a rotator cuff injury ended his career.

But Gullett believes Wagner can best help the club by staying in the bullpen.

"That's what he did in college," Gullett said. "He seems to be very durable. It's all about protecting a young, very valuable commodity. It's not a question of whether or not he can (start), but I think he's going to be more valuable in the role he's accustomed to."

Wagner, who spent his entire college career at the University of Houston as a reliever, says he's open to either role, but so far there have been no discussions among Reds management about what to do with him.

"It's something that we'll look at over the winter," Reds manager Dave Miley said.

Despite the similarities between the two, Gullett hasn't seen fit to share his personal history with Wagner or to offer advice on how to handle the pressure of the big leagues. He figures it's better to leave well enough alone.

"Everybody's different in regards to how they handle situations," he said. "It hasn't been a problem for him to handle the big leagues. He's had success. That's easily visible. There's no need to dwell on that. He's pitching with confidence, and he believes he belongs here."

Wagner, 21, was the Reds' No. 1 selection in the June free agent draft, then made only nine minor-league appearances, two fewer than Gullett made before he made his major-league debut in 1970 at the age of 19.

Other than his stuff, perhaps the most impressive thing about Wagner, who's 2-0 with a 1.71 earned run average in 16 relief appearances, is his demeanor. Despite his lack of professional experience, he has handled the pressure well.

"It's been a whirlwind," Wagner said, "not only with being in the big leagues, but with all the traveling I've done this year. I still try to stay focused. You can get rattled real easy out there. The guys you're pitching to are the guys you've watched on TV for a long time. You've just got to know what your job is and stay composed."

Wagner said he was surprised to get called up so soon, even though he was told he would be placed on the fast track to the majors the day he was drafted.

"It's hard to know what the fast track is," Wagner said. "What is the average time of guys in the minor leagues? Is two years the fast track? Is three years the fast track? I didn't expect to come up this soon."

DUNN UPDATE: Adam Dunn had the cast removed from his left thumb and replaced it with a soft cast that he'll wear for about a week, when he'll be re-examined. Dunn was placed on the disabled list Aug. 16 with a sprained ligament in his left thumb.

HAYNES FINISHED: Right-hander Jimmy Haynes is the latest Red to be lost for the season. Still suffering from a bulging disc in his back, he has been advised by the Reds' medical staff to rest his back for at least two more weeks. He's the sixth Red to have his season prematurely ended by an injury this year.

GRAVES READY: Danny Graves felt strong and ready to pitch again Saturday after working two innings Friday night to record his first save since returning to the bullpen.

The Reds' once and perhaps future closer was still aglow Saturday about being back in the bullpen.

"He gave us some quality starts," Miley said. "But we didn't know how unhappy he really was. He's not a guy who's going to tell you that. But when you look back on it, we probably should have done this sooner."

SAME LINEUP: After watching the Reds score eight runs Friday against the Cardinals, Miley used the same lineup Saturday with the exception of Dernell Stenson in right field in place of Ruben Mateo.

Mateo, who left Friday's game with a sore right hamstring, was available to pinch hit Saturday, but Miley said he'd have to use a pinch runner for him if he reached base.

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E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com