By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ST. LOUIS - Josh Hall's offseason didn't last long. Just about the time Hall returned home to Lynchburg, Va., after Double-A Chattanooga's season ended, the Reds called him back.

Hall, a 22-year-old right-hander, will start Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Reds needed a starter because Paul Wilson is skipping his next two starts to recover from biceps tendinitis.

The Reds had considered using Todd Van Poppel or Scott Randall but chose to recall Hall instead.

"It's something we talked about," pitching coach Don Gullett said. "We needed someone up with Wilson out. (Hall's) the logical guy at this point in time. He pitched pretty well in his one outing up here."

In that outing, an Aug. 2 home game against the San Francisco Giants, Hall went five innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He was the victim of a blown save in a game the Reds won 5-4.

Hall, the club's seventh-round pick in the 1998 draft, was 8-10 with a 3.47 ERA for Chattanooga.

After his brief appearance with the Reds, Gullett told Hall to work on getting more consistent with the command of his curveball.

"You have to be able to throw something other than the fastball in fastball counts," Gullett said. "When you're limited to the fastball, you pay the consequences."

Hall will join the team today or Sunday. He'll throw a side session for Gullett before the start.

YES AND NO: Sean Casey returned to the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Casey missed Tuesday's and Wednesday's games with a sore left groin.

But Ruben Mateo remained sidelined with a sore right hamstring.

Mateo hasn't played in a week.

"He tried running (before the game)," trainer Mark Mann said. "He'd get up to 85, 90 percent and it would grab him."

Mateo remains day-to-day.

"He'll be ready when he's 100 percent," Mann said. "It's hard to put a time frame on that."

CASTRO SITS: Juan Castro was out of the starting lineup. He has been dealing with pain behind the right knee.

"He could play," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "But the day games (today and Sunday), I would have given him one of those off anyway."

PROBABLY TODAY: Miley plans to start catcher Dane Sardinha today. Sardinha, who was added to the roster Monday after Kelly Stinnett was traded, has not played yet.

When he makes his debut, he will be the 55th Red to play this season - four short of the major-league record.

ACEVEDO SUNDAY? Jose Acevedo, out since Aug. 7 with a sprained ankle, will throw a simulated game Monday.

Acevedo was fine in his bullpen session Thursday.

"It doesn't bother him on the mound," Miley said. "He feels it when he comes off the mound to field a bunt or something like that."

Acevedo isn't scheduled to start until Sept. 14, giving him nine days to further recover.

FARM REPORT: Triple-A Louisville lost to Durham 2-1 to even the Governors' Cup series at a game apiece.

UP NEXT: The Reds take on the Cardinals in the second game of the three-game series today at 4:10 p.m.

The game will be nationally televised on Fox (Channel 19). Left-hander Danny Serafini (0-2, 4.91 ERA) faces right-hander Woody Williams (14-8, 3.68).