By John Fay
Enquirer staff writer

ST. LOUIS - Brandon Larson's latest trial run at third base may be over.

Juan Castro started at third Monday in the Reds' 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Larson had started four of the previous five games.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Monday's game

Reds manager Dave Miley wouldn't name a third baseman.

"I'm going to use everybody, keep everybody fresh," he said. "I've always played the hot hand."

Larson very clearly is the polar opposite of the hot hand right now.

He went 0-for-4 Sunday to extend his hitless streak to 12 at-bats. He has one hit over his last 17 at-bats and is hitting .155 in 58 at-bats since coming off the disabled list June 4.

Larson is hitting .202 overall. In 267 at-bats with the Reds in his career, he is hitting .172 with seven home runs and 34 RBI.

Castro and Tim Hummel, the other two choices at third now that Ryan Freel is playing outfield nearly full-time, have outhit Larson. Castro is hitting .290; Hummel .286.

Castro is superior defensively.

Hummel comes through more often in the clutch. He is hitting .267 with runners in scoring position; Larson .167.

CORKY'S BACK: Corky Miller was surprised to get the call to the big leagues from Triple-A Louisville.

It was probably because the Reds weren't calling Miller up to catch. He replaces Sean Casey, who went on the disabled list with a strained calf, on the roster.

"He was swinging the bat the best down there," Miley said.

Miller was hitting .296 with four home runs and 22 RBI for the Bats.

"It was good to get to play regularly," Miller said.

But Miller is a career .238 hitter in the big leagues.

So that the Reds brought him up to replace Casey is probably more of a reflection on their minor-league depth than the way Miller's swinging the bat.

The most obvious choice was John Vander Wal. He is precisely the guy the Reds signed to add depth at first and in the outfield.

Vander Wal is five games into his second rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville. He's hitting .091. But Vander Wal is a proven big-league hitter with a .263 average in 2,700 at-bats.

"For him, it's a matter of getting his timing down again," Miley said.

WAGNER THROWS: Ryan Wagner was good in his return to the big leagues. He threw two perfect innings, striking out one, in the Reds' 4-1 loss Monday.

Wagner pitched the sixth and seventh innings. That's going to be his role for now.

"You'll probably see him in the middle of the game," Miley said. "We'll work him, get his feet wet."

FARM REPORT: Tony Blanco, freshly promoted from Single-A, hit his first home run for Double-A Chattanooga in the Lookouts' 4-3 loss to Greenville Sunday.

UP NEXT: The Reds play the Cardinals in the second game of the three-game series today at 8:10 p.m. Right-hander Jose Acevedo (4-7, 5.34 ERA) faces right-hander Matt Morris (8-6, 4.36).

REDS FACT: In three starts lifetime at Busch Stadium, Acevedo is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA.

Reds statistics

(Through Monday'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
Larkin	.295	.349	237	40	70	11	2	4	31	21	26	2	0	1
Castro	.290	.331	131	18	38	13	1	1	10	8	22	0	0	5
Hummel	.282	.321	78	9	22	4	0	1	7	4	11	1	0	3
Freel	.277	.380	260	32	75	9	5	1	15	35	43	14	5	7
Pena	.271	.315	140	13	38	3	1	7	23	8	46	3	0	2
Cruz	.267	.353	75	13	20	4	0	2	17	8	22	0	0	0
Dunn	.265	.411	275	54	73	14	0	24	51	65	103	2	0	2
Jimenez	.256	.360	277	39	71	13	2	6	26	45	45	8	6	4
Griffey	.244	.343	279	45	68	15	0	19	55	41	63	1	0	1
LaRue	.226	.318	195	23	44	12	0	7	27	15	55	0	2	7
Larson	.202	.296	94	10	19	6	0	2	11	11	27	1	0	5
Kearns	.195	.327	87	10	17	2	1	3	13	16	30	1	1	1
Valentin	.170	.221	112	11	19	5	0	3	10	8	17	0	0	3
Team Totals	.252	.338	2771	385	697	143	13	95	362	328	652	35	14	50

PITCHERS	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO
White	0	0	1.17	8	0	0	7.2	4	1	1	1	0	6
Graves	1	3	2.89	46	0	31	46.2	45	20	15	9	5	26
Jones	6	2	3.31	42	0	1	49.0	36	19	18	3	21	33
Wilson	8	2	3.63	16	16	0	101.2	106	44	41	12	33	69
Riedling	4	1	4.00	40	0	0	45.0	46	23	20	3	22	28
Harang	4	2	4.71	13	13	0	70.2	88	38	37	8	26	55
Lidle	6	6	4.84	18	18	0	115.1	121	63	62	14	28	71
Acevedo	4	7	5.34	16	16	0	92.2	102	56	55	20	21	71
Norton	1	2	5.73	35	0	0	33.0	36	24	21	3	19	22
Van Poppel	3	3	5.87	17	10	0	69.0	82	45	45	10	14	42
Wagner	2	1	5.94	19	0	0	16.2	26	13	11	3	11	10
Matthews	2	1	8.84	22	0	0	18.1	23	19	18	6	10	8
Sanchez	0	1	12.46	1	1	0	4.1	6	6	6	2	3	2
Team Totals	44	38	4.94	82	82	32	730.2	799	429	402	107	256	489