By Kevin Kelly
Enquirer staff writer

Back from his latest trip to the trainer's room, Ken Griffey Jr. wore a small gauze bandage taped to his right arm Thursday afternoon.

The Reds center fielder, who has not started the past three games because of cramps in his left calf, was given fluids intravenously as part of a treatment regimen to combat dehydration.

Griffey is expected to start against the Indians today at Great American Ball Park, adding one key ingredient to a Reds lineup that has also been without first baseman Sean Casey (right calf strain) for the past three games.

Casey said he probably would not play today.

"I feel better," said Griffey, who had a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth inning Thursday. "I've just got some muscle stiffness. It's like a spasm, and part of that is dehydration."

Griffey said he lost a considerable amount of weight during his two most recent starts - against the Pirates on Saturday and Sunday.

"I've done this one time before where I lost a lot of weight," said Griffey, who is batting .242 with 19 home runs and 54 RBI this season. "The last time was in Seattle. I got dizzy and almost fell."

In addition to the IV, Griffey's treatment also included treadmill work, icing the calf and dunking himself in 110-degree and then 60-degree pools of water.

Casey suffered his injury in the seventh inning Sunday, and continues to receive treatment. Entering Thursday, he continued to lead the National League in batting average (.352) and multi-hit games (32).

"I still feel something in there," he said. "So I'm still getting treatment on it, seeing how it responds every day. It's been getting better every day. So that's a good sign."