By John Fay
Enquirer staff writer

Austin Kearns' batting gloves didn't work. Kearns took a round of batting practice with the specially designed gloves Tuesday. Afterward, his right thumb was so sore, the Reds opted to repair it surgically.

PHOTO GALLERY

10 photos of Tuesday's Mets-Reds game

Kearns will have the surgery Friday. He will miss four to six weeks.

"The gloves didn't give him the relief we were hoping for," medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek said. "His thumb was sore and red."

Kearns has lesions inside the thumb at the base.

They developed when a torn ligament in the thumb healed.

"It's not an uncommon problem," Kremchek said.

Kearns on Tuesday used the gloves that were specially designed by Louisville Slugger to help relieve the pressure on the sore thumb that has kept Kearns on the disabled list since June 8.

The gloves were the last-ditch effort to avoid surgery.

"He'll be able to do everything but swing the bat," Kremchek said. "So hopefully, he'll hit the ground running. It could be as little as four weeks or as many as six."

JUNIOR WATCH: Ken Griffey Jr. was a late scratch Tuesday with cramps in his left calf. Ryan Freel was switched from left field to center, and Jermaine Clark started in left. Clark hit in the second spot; Barry Larkin dropped to third.

Griffey pinch hit against Braden Looper in the ninth and singled to load the bases with none out, ending the worst slump of his career.

Griffey has gone 1-for-27 since hitting his 500th career homer June 20; his single ended a career-worst 0-for-24 stretch.

GOOD NEWS: Sean Casey's strained right calf was feeling considerably better Tuesday.

Casey left Sunday's game after suffering the injury.

"I've been living in the training room," Casey said. "It feels much better. I'm walking without a limp."

An MRI showed a strain. There was no tear in the muscle.

Casey isn't expected to play in the three-game series with the Mets. But he could play in the weekend series against the Cleveland Indians.

VANDER WAL UPDATE: John Vander Wal returned home to Michigan after working out over the weekend for the Reds. Look for him to join Triple-A Louisville for a rehabilitation assignment soon.

"We have to clear a roster spot for him," Reds general manager Dan O'Brien said. "That could happen as soon as (today). We hope to get it done shortly."

Vander Wal is coming back after knee surgery in January.

HERE'S A SWTICH: Switch hitter D'Angelo Jimenez took batting practice right-handed for the first time since straining an oblique muscle June 13. He plans to hit right-handed against left-handers the next chance he gets.

SOLD OUT: Today's 7:10 p.m. game with the Mets is sold out. The club is giving away 40,000 Sean Casey bobbleheads. Casey , of course, won't be in the lineup.

"I waited 7 1/2 years to get a bobblehead, and I'm riding the pine," Casey said. "I'll come out and sign a few before the game."

FARM REPORT: Seth Etherton allowed four hits and Ray Olmedo knocked in three runs Tuesday to lead Louisville past Richmond 6-0 in the first game of an International League doubleheader. Etherton (3-3) pitched a complete game, scattering four singles and allowing no Brave past second base. It was Etherton's first win since June 7.

Chris Gruler, the top draft pick in 2002, pitched five shutout innings in the Gulf Coast League Reds' 4-0 win over the Twins Monday.

Gruler allowed five hits, walked one and struck out three. Jeff Austin allowed only a walk over four innings in relief of Gruler.

Bubba Nelson, in his first start for Double-A Chattanooga, allowed one run on seven hits in a 4-1 win over Tennessee. Nelson was 1-10 for Louisville. Chattanooga third baseman Edwin Encarnacion went 2-for-3 to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He's hitting .500 (14-for-28) during the streak.

UP NEXT: The Reds play the Mets in the second game of the three-game series. Cory Lidle (5-5, 5.05 ERA) faces left-hander Tom Glavine (7-4, 2.11) in a rematch of Thursday's duel. Lidle and the Reds won that one 6-2.

REDS FACT: Cory Lidle, today's starter, has thrown all three of Cincinnati's complete games this season.

Reds statistics

(Through Sunday's game)

BATTERS	AVG	OBA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	E
Casey	.352	.402	287	55	101	26	1	15	54	23	21	1	0	4
Castro	.321	.363	106	16	34	10	1	1	10	7	20	0	0	5
Larkin	.299	.352	214	38	64	9	2	4	29	19	25	2	0	1
Hummel	.292	.325	72	9	21	4	0	1	6	3	11	1	0	3
Pena	.267	.315	116	12	31	3	1	7	21	7	45	2	0	2
Cruz	.265	.342	68	10	18	4	0	2	16	8	21	0	0	0
Dunn	.264	.408	250	49	66	12	0	22	48	58	93	2	0	2
Jimenez	.250	.361	248	35	62	12	2	4	23	43	39	7	5	4
Freel	.249	.363	229	30	57	8	5	1	12	34	39	13	4	7
Griffey	.239	.340	268	44	64	15	0	19	54	40	61	1	0	0
LaRue	.232	.325	177	22	41	10	0	7	25	14	49	0	2	7
Larson	.222	.312	81	8	18	6	0	1	8	9	24	1	0	5
Kearns	.195	.327	87	10	17	2	1	3	13	16	30	1	1	1
Valentin	.170	.208	94	9	16	4	0	3	8	5	14	0	0	3
Clark	.154	.241	26	4	4	1	0	0	2	1	6	1	0	0
Team Totals	.251	.339	2527	360	634	131	13	90	339	306	604	32	12	49

PITCHERS	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
White	0	0	0.00	4	0	0	4.1	3	0	0	0	0	4
Graves	1	3	3.16	43	0	29	42.2	42	20	15	9	5	26
Jones	5	2	3.52	39	0	1	46.0	36	19	18	3	19	31
Wilson	7	2	3.69	15	15	0	95.0	98	42	39	11	31	63
Riedling	4	1	3.73	36	0	0	41.0	37	20	17	3	21	25
Van Poppel	3	2	4.60	15	9	0	62.2	69	32	32	6	12	35
Harang	4	2	5.01	12	12	0	64.2	83	37	36	7	25	51
Lidle	5	5	5.05	16	16	0	103.1	109	59	58	14	24	64
Acevedo	4	6	5.30	15	15	0	86.2	95	52	51	18	18	68
Norton	1	2	6.35	32	0	0	28.1	33	23	20	3	17	18
Matthews	2	1	7.56	20	0	0	16.2	19	15	14	4	8	7
Team Totals	41	34	4.90	75	75	30	666.2	730	390	363	94	234	447

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E-mail jfay@enquirer.com