By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

ST. LOUIS - Reds right fielder Austin Kearns, who began his latest rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday, was held out Friday because of a tender right thumb.

Kearns returned to Cincinnati and will be examined today by team medical director Dr. Timothy Kremchek. He likely will miss tonight's game as well.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Friday's game

Kearns has been on the disabled list since June 8 because of a sore on his right thumb. On Thursday, he went 0-for-2 with two walks, two runs scored and one stolen base.

In 28 games with the Reds this season, he is hitting .195 with three home runs and 13 RBI.

Kearns missed 19 games earlier this season after suffering a broken left forearm April 26 in Pittsburgh when a pitch thrown by Ryan Vogelsong hit him.

NEXT STOP: At no point in Busch Stadium's history has an opposing player achieved a career milestone like the one Ken Griffey Jr. is chasing.

The Reds center fielder entered Friday's series opener against the Cardinals one home run shy of 500 for his career.

"I get the feeling that (Cardinals fans) hope I hit a home run, but that they want their team to win," Griffey said. "It's like (Michael) Jordan. You hoped he scored 50, but you also hoped the Bulls lost."

Griffey was homerless in his past 13 at-bats entering the game. He has 13 career home runs against the Cardinals and three at Busch Stadium.

FAMILIAR FACE: Hoping to change his, and the team's, luck during a seven-game losing streak earlier this month, catcher Javier Valentin shaved off the mustache he has sported for 15 to 20 years.

Though the new look is an unfamiliar one to Valentin's family and friends, the sight of him catching Reds starting pitcher Cory Lidle isn't.

Including Friday's game, Valentin has been behind the plate for Lidle's past 10 starts.

"It is easier," Valentin said of working almost exclusively with one pitcher. "You know what pitches he can throw or if he's struggling. Right now, that's the way I feel. If he's struggling, I can go over there and talk to him, help him make some adjustments."

RETURN TRIP: Visiting Busch Stadium is like coming home for Mike Matthews.

The Reds' left-handed relief pitcher, whose wife is from the St. Louis area, appeared in 108 games (2-2, 2.06 ERA) with the Cardinals from 2000-02.

St. Louis averaged 95 wins during that span and finished first in the National League Central all three seasons.

"The team has kind of been picked apart," Matthews said, "but the core is still over there: (Jim) Edmonds, (Albert) Pujols, (Edgar) Renteria. We had some really good teams."

ODDS AND ENDS: In his first rehab start with Louisville on Thursday, infielder Juan Castro (strained left ribcage muscle) played second base and went 0-for-2. He was scheduled to play shortstop Friday and third base today. ... Second baseman D'Angelo Jimenez was scheduled to take batting practice left-handed prior to Friday's game. He has missed five consecutive games with a strained left oblique muscle. ... Third baseman Tim Hummel started his fifth consecutive game. ... The Reds' game against the Cardinals July 17 at Great American Ball Park has been moved to a 1:25 p.m. start. The game will be broadcast nationally on Fox.

UP NEXT: Reds pitcher Jose Acevedo (3-5, 5.33 ERA) is scheduled to start against the Cardinals today at 7:15 p.m. Acevedo is 0-3 with a 12.41 ERA in three career starts against St. Louis.

Woody Williams (4-6, 4.86 ERA) will start for the Cardinals. The right-hander is 7-3 with a 4.60 ERA in 12 appearances against the Reds.

REDS FACT: Their 10-game winning streak against teams in first place was their longest such streak since 1999, when they won 13 straight against first-place clubs.

Reds statistics

(Through Thursday's game)

BATTERS	AVG	OBA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	E
Casey	.364	.410	253	51	92	24	1	13	49	20	20	1	0	4
Hummel	.308	.339	52	6	16	4	0	1	5	3	7	1	0	3
Larkin	.299	.348	204	37	61	9	2	4	28	17	25	2	0	1
Castro	.298	.337	84	11	25	6	1	1	9	5	17	0	0	4
Pena	.281	.330	96	10	27	3	1	5	15	6	37	2	0	2
Cruz	.267	.353	60	10	16	3	0	2	15	8	20	0	0	0
Dunn	.263	.420	217	44	57	11	0	19	42	56	83	2	0	2
Griffey	.259	.364	232	41	60	15	0	18	51	37	51	1	0	0
Jimenez	.257	.374	226	32	58	12	2	3	21	42	35	7	5	4
Freel	.246	.365	203	27	50	7	5	1	11	31	33	10	4	7
LaRue	.224	.331	147	18	33	8	0	5	20	13	41	0	2	6
Larson	.217	.304	69	8	15	5	0	1	8	7	18	0	0	5
Clark	.200	.333	10	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0
Kearns	.195	.327	87	10	17	2	1	3	13	16	30	1	1	1
Lopez	.171	.190	41	2	7	2	0	0	5	1	16	0	0	3
Valentin	.149	.191	87	8	13	3	0	3	8	5	11	0	0	3
Team Totals	.254	.347	2209	323	562	117	13	79	305	285	521	27	12	47

PITCHERS	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
Wilson	7	0	3.17	13	13	0	82.1	84	32	29	8	24	48
Graves	1	3	3.29	38	0	27	38.1	38	19	14	9	4	24
Matthews	1	0	3.29	15	0	0	13.2	9	6	5	3	6	5
Jones	5	1	3.60	35	0	1	40.0	29	17	16	2	19	30
Riedling	4	1	4.04	31	0	0	35.2	31	19	16	3	18	21
Norton	1	2	4.33	29	0	0	27.0	29	16	13	3	14	16
Van Poppel	3	2	4.53	14	8	0	57.2	61	29	29	6	11	34
Acevedo	3	5	5.33	13	13	0	72.2	79	44	43	15	15	61
Harang	4	2	5.43	11	11	0	59.2	79	37	36	7	22	44
Lidle	4	5	5.50	14	14	0	88.1	94	55	54	13	22	49
Reith	2	2	7.27	22	0	0	26.0	30	21	21	5	19	24
Bong	0	1	7.71	2	2	0	9.1	14	13	8	3	7	6
Team Totals	37	29	4.90	66	66	28	584.2	636	345	318	85	206	382