The Reds didn't count on this. The closer spot was one of the few sure things on a team that could use a question mark as a logo.
But Jeff Brantley, the top reliever in the National League last year, is going on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder. Brantley tried to play catch Wednesday but to shut it down after trying to throw from 60 feet.
''This is a blow,'' Reds manager Ray Knight said, ''to lose the best relief pitcher in baseball for any amount of time.''
The big question remains:
How long? Ten days to two weeks was the prognosis after a CT arthrogram Wednesday.
That was actually good news. When
Brantley went for the procedure at Good Samaritan, surgery was a real possibility.
''His joint is in very good shape,'' Dr. Tim Kremchek said. ''There was no labral tear.''
The diagnosis: rotator cuff strain or rotator cuff tendinitis.
''We're relieved,'' General Manager Jim Bowden said. ''This is good news.''
Said Brantley: ''It couldn't be any better. After I threw, I thought something was really wrong. I must have strained it worse than they thought.''
Still, Brantley will go to Birmingham, Ala., today to be further examined by Dr. James Andrews.
The move to the disabled list is retroactive to March 27, the day after Brantley last pitched.
If Andrews confirms that its a strain or tendinitis, treatment will be ''active rest,'' Kremchek said. ''That consists of strengthening, stretching.''
Brantley was anxious to get on with it.
''I want to find out what the problem is, no ifs, ands or buts,'' Brantley said. ''It's discouraging. I've never had anything wrong with my arm.''
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Jeff Shaw, formerly the set-up man, moves to the closer role.
''I've got a lot of confidence in him,'' Knight said. ''We expect him to respond positively.''
Shaw, a 30-year-old right-hander, is coming off his best year in the majors: 8-6, 2.49 ERA, four saves.
But Brantley set a team record with 44 saves in only 49 chances. He was 1-2 with a 2.41 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 71 innings.
''At the start of every season, every club has certainties, probables and question marks,'' Knight said. ''He and Barry Larkin were our certainties. We didn't have to worry about the ninth inning.''
Stan Belinda moves into Shaw's role as set-up man. Belinda, 30, is coming off a bad year (2-1, 6.59 ERA) in Boston. But he was 8-1 with a 3.10 ERA in 1995.
Belinda's performance Wednesday - he left the eighth with men on first and third and one out - did not lock up the job.
Scott Sullivan, a 26-year-old right-hander who was recalled from Indianapolis to take Brantley's spot, will also be in the mix.
Lefty Kent Mercker and righty Kevin Jarvis, who were scheduled for long relief, also could be used in later innings.
''We're going to see how pitchers respond to situations,'' Knight said. ''It took us a month to get the order (of relievers) set. It's going to take some time.
''We've got some capable arms.''
But Brantley was more than capable. He was pretty much a sure bet.
''It's going to be tough,'' Knight said. ''The ninth inning was automatic. We have a huge hole to fill.''
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