By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jason LaRue wishes baseball had a 10-day disabled list. "That way I could play now," the Reds catcher said, "instead of waiting until Friday."

Ken Griffey Jr. cools off in the dugout under an ice water towel Sunday. (Michael E. Keating photo)

On the 15-day disabled list with a broken right index finger, LaRue has been working out with the Reds and is eager to play. Right fielder Austin Kearns (broken left forearm) can come off the DL on Wednesday and is just as eager.

"I feel great," Kearns said. "Nothing is bothering me at all . . . I thought it would take a lot longer than this."

Both players will begin at least a two-game rehabilitation assignment today at Triple-A Louisville.

LARSON TO DL: For the second time this season, and fifth time during his major-league career, Brandon Larson is on the disabled list.

The third baseman strained his left quadriceps sliding into home plate in the fifth inning Friday. An MRI exam Saturday morning showed a small tear in the muscle.

"I didn't want to go on the DL," he said, "but they said it was best for me and the team."

Larson hit .278 with one home run and five RBI in 11 games, but also committed five errors.

HUMMEL RECALLED: Third baseman Tim Hummel was recalled from Triple-A Louisville to take Larson's spot on the roster, and struck out as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning of Sunday's loss to the Giants.

Hummel, who played in 26 games after the Reds claimed him off waivers from the White Sox last August, was hitting .289 with two homers and 13 RBI in 27 games at Louisville.

"This was just as good if not better than the first time, especially now," Hummel said. "It's a little different situation this year. These guys are winning. It's a totally different feel."

ROTATION SHIFT: The Reds reworked the starting rotation to give Jose Acevedo extra time to heal.

Acevedo left in the fifth inning Wednesday when a callus peeled off his right middle finger, and was originally scheduled to pitch against the Padres on Tuesday.

The rotation will go as follows: Aaron Harang (Tuesday), Cory Lidle (Wednesday), Acevedo (Thursday), Paul Wilson (Friday), Todd Van Poppel (Saturday).

SHOULDER SCARE: A seventh-inning collision with San Francisco's Dustan Mohr at first base left Sean Casey on the infield dirt gripping his left shoulder.

Casey, who had extensive surgery on the shoulder in 2002, stayed in the game and hit a home run in his next at-bat.

"It scared me big-time," Casey said. "It spasmed on me. By the next at-bat it was all right obviously."

O-FOR-CINCINNATI: A career .321 hitter against the Reds, Giants left fielder Barry Bonds went 0-for-9 with four walks (two intentional) and three runs scored in the series while dealing with a sinus and inner-ear infection.

His intentional walk to lead off the 10th inning Sunday extended a string of consecutive games reaching base via a hit or walk to all 29 he has played in this season.

NO DECISION: In his first start this season, Van Poppel threw 75 pitches - 42 for strikes - over four innings.

"I feel like I made some good pitches at times, fell behind other times," said Van Poppel, whose two earned runs came on a Marquis Grissom homer in the first inning. "I definitely need to be more efficient with my pitches. But I kept us in the game and we had a legitimate chance to win in the end."

ODDS AND ENDS: Harang, who celebrated his 26th birthday Sunday, flew to San Diego after the game. He was born and resides there. . . Infielder Juan Castro committed two errors in one game for only the second time in his career. . . . Shortstop Barry Larkin extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single in the first. He has hit safely in 18 of his past 20 games.

REDS FACT: Backup catcher Corky Miller is looking for his first hit. He is 0-for-15, although his on-base percentage is .348 thanks to six bases on balls.

Reds statistics

(Through Sunday's game)

BATTERS	AVG	OBA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	E
Casey	.376	.416	125	22	47	13	1	4	24	9	12	1	0	1
Cruz	.318	.423	22	5	7	2	0	0	4	4	11	0	0	0
Larkin	.304	.353	112	19	34	6	1	1	9	8	13	2	0	0
Dunn	.286	.495	91	24	26	4	0	10	20	37	37	2	0	1
Larson	.278	.350	36	4	10	3	0	1	5	4	6	0	0	5
Castro	.268	.317	56	8	15	3	1	1	8	4	12	0	0	3
Freel	.256	.319	86	10	22	3	3	1	5	5	18	5	2	4
Griffey	.241	.333	103	16	26	7	0	6	21	14	24	1	0	0
Jimenez	.212	.341	118	18	25	6	0	3	14	22	24	2	2	3
LaRue	.211	.292	57	7	12	4	0	1	10	5	11	0	0	3
Pena	.195	.267	41	3	8	1	1	1	4	3	19	0	0	0
Valentin	.163	.208	43	5	7	2	0	2	7	3	5	0	0	3
Kearns	.137	.290	51	7	7	2	1	2	5	10	15	1	0	1
Romano	.071	.188	14	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	7	0	0	0
Miller	.000	.348	15	1	0	0	0	0	1	6	6	0	0	0
Team Totals	.245	.343	1003	151	244	58	8	33	139	149	263	14	4	24

PITCHERS	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
Riedling	1	0	0.56	15	0	0	16.0	9	3	1	0	3	13
Graves	1	2	3.44	18	0	13	18.1	19	11	7	6	4	12
Wilson	4	0	4.43	7	7	0	42.2	53	23	21	7	12	22
Van Poppel	1	1	4.50	7	1	0	16.0	16	8	8	1	6	11
Acevedo	2	2	4.54	6	6	0	35.2	34	19	18	8	7	29
Harang	2	1	4.96	6	6	0	32.2	42	18	18	5	14	26
Lidle	2	2	5.15	7	7	0	43.2	43	26	25	5	9	26
Jones	2	1	5.50	17	0	0	18	16	11	11	1	8	15
Norton	0	0	5.56	15	0	0	11.1	14	8	7	1	5	7
Reith	0	1	7.50	12	0	0	12.0	15	10	10	1	9	13
Wagner	1	1	8.44	13	0	0	10.2	22	12	10	2	9	6
Haynes	0	3	9.60	5	4	0	15.0	26	17	16	3	7	8
Team Totals	16	15	5.06	31	31	13	272.0	309	166	153	40	93	188