By John Fay and Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

John Vander Wal still won't put a date on it. But you get the feeling he thinks he'll be back before summer gets here.

"I think it's going to be soon," he said. "I mean . . . it's going to be fairly quick."

Vander Wal, an outfielder/first baseman, is rehabilitating from January knee surgery.

It generally takes four to nine months to recover from an ACL repair like Vander Wal's.

Four months would have Vander Wal playing in mid-May.

"It's way too early to put a date on it," trainer Mark Mann said. "He's doing well. He's a hard worker. He's done everything he's been asked and more."

Vander Wal, 37, is hitting in the batting cage and doing some jogging. He hopes to be able to get on the field and begin baseball activities in a week to 10 days.

Vander Wal was released by the Reds during spring training and re-signed to a minor-league contract with the promise he'll get a big-league deal when he's ready to play.

When he's ready, he'll go on a rehab assignment in the minors.

Vander Wal, whom the Reds signed as a free agent for $700,000, would be a very important piece for the Reds, if healthy. He is one of the game's premier pinch hitters. He's fifth all time with 125 pinch hits and third all time with 17 pinch home runs.

LARSON UPDATE: Brandon Larson left Cincinnati to join Triple-A Louisville in Richmond for the start of his rehab assignment.

"I'm anxious to start playing again," said Larson, who is on the disabled list with a turf toe injury.

Larson is eligible to come off the DL Saturday. But the plan is for him to join the Reds April 12 in Philadelphia for the first game of the three-game, four-day series with the Phillies there.

Larson has full clearance.

"We expect him to play nine innings every day," Mann said.

Larson has been working out the last two weeks. He has played in minor-league games in Sarasota, Fla.

"It feels good," he said. "It'll grab me every once in awhile. This is a big test."

EXTRA WORK: Ken Griffey Jr., Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns, Ray Olmedo and Larson took early batting practice Wednesday.

"We did that a lot in spring training," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "We're going to continue it. We had some infielders - (D'Angelo) Jimenez and (Ryan) Freel - out there for some work, too."

LARKIN TODAY? Miley would not commit to whether Barry Larkin will play in today's day game after Wednesday's night game.

"We'll make the decision after (Wednesday's) game," Miley said. "We want to keep those guys out there as much as possible. We have another off day Tuesday. But we have a lot of day games."

SOMETHING TO PROVE: When Jose Acevedo first signed with the Reds in 1996, his cousin, Juan Marichal, offered him some advice.

"He told me, 'This is not it. Some guys come in and think they've made it,' " Acevedo recalled Wednesday. "I understand that. I can see there is a long way to go."

Acevedo makes his first start of the season today and is eager to prove last year's 2-0 record and 2.67 ERA were no fluke.

"(Today) is one of those days that I need to show my stuff," said Acevedo, who went 3-0 with a 3.34 ERA in seven spring appearances. "A lot of people here did not believe in me before. It's different now."

Acevedo pitched in 34 games with the Reds and at Triple-A last season. His year ended when he slipped on the dugout steps Aug. 6 at Dodger Stadium.

DOWN ON THE FARM: The Reds have set their minor-league rosters, and there are a few surprises.

Seth Etherton and Dustin Moseley will begin the season at Double-A Chattanooga because there was no room at Triple-A Louisville.

Etherton spent most of last season with Louisville. Moseley began the 2003 season at Chattanooga but finished at Louisville.

DUBIOUS MILESTONE: When Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux hit D'Angelo Jimenez and Ken Griffey Jr. in the first inning Wednesday, it marked the first time the four-time Cy Young Award winner had hit two batters in the same inning.

UP NEXT: The Reds play the Chicago Cubs in the series finale today at 12:35 p.m. Acevedo faces right-hander Matt Clement, who was 14-12 with a 4.11 ERA last season.

E-mail jfay@enquirer.com and kkelly@enquirer.com