BAILEY SHELVED FOR FIFTEEN DAYS

According to Reds' beat writer John Fay, Homer Bailey has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after visiting Dr. Tim "Hollywood" Kremchek on Monday. Bailey's MRI exam showed no signs of structural damage, but the Reds want to be extra careful when it comes to the young right hander and shelved him for fifteen days. Bailey has no history of shoulder problems, but some have noticed "red-flags" in his mechanics. Bailey denied a cortisone shot on Monday and continued to downplay his shoulder inflammation:

“I’m not (worried),” said a humble Bailey. “If it was something serious, I might be, if it was agonizing pain. But it could be something real minor. I don’t know any timetable or anything like that. There was never one pitch where I felt something. It kind of slowly crept up. They came out. I wanted to stay in the game. They weren’t going to let that happen. I was thinking one start, but I’m no doctor.”

24 year-old Enerio Del Rosario was called up from AAA on Monday to coincide with the Reds roster move. He will work out of the Reds' bullpen until another move is needed to fill Bailey's spot in the rotation. So far at Louisville, Del Rosario has gone 1-1 with a 1.46 ERA. His electric side-armed action and explosive sinking pitches should intensify the Reds' bullpen. Del Rosario will wear number 58.

When Bailey's rotation spot opens up, the Reds have several options at AAA. Aroldis Chapman will not be in consideration after leaving last Wednesday's game with a blister. Chapman aside, the likely candidates from Louisville would be RHP Sam LeCure (5-2, 2.55), LHP Matt Maloney (4-1, 2.72), and RHP Travis Wood (1-4, 4.47). Without Chapman being in the mix, the Reds still have many ample arms at AAA. Their newly found minor league depth will become a huge asset as the long season's eventual injuries occur.



After all of the roster activity between Louisville and Cincinnati is finished, expect AA pitcher Matt Klinkler to settle into the Bats' rotation. Klinkler seems to have proved himself in AA going 4-3 with a 1.63 ERA.

Aaron Harang (2-5, 6.02) will face Brian Burres (2-1, 4.91) and the Pirates on Monday at 7:10pm. The game will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the first major league night-game. The first place St. Louis Cardinals are off on Monday. The Reds can slide back into first with a victory against the Buccos.

VIEW ENTIRE ARTICLE AT WHACKREDS.COM

ANARCHY IN THE PA PART TWO: MY WAY

During the series sweep of the Pirates that was completed on Wednesday afternoon, Reds' pitching allowed only one run in all three games combined. Bronson Arroyo began the Pittsburgh affair on Monday pitching seven innings while allowing the only run of the series on five hits. Johnny "Rotten" Cueto had the most handsome outing of his career on Tuesday hurling a one-hit complete-game shutout. On Wednesday, Homer Bailey extended the pitching staff's dominance, leading the Reds to a sweep of the Bucs.

Until Wednesday, Bailey had been alienated by the other starting pitchers for the Reds. After an extremely murky start to the season for Reds' pitchers, all except Bailey have been turning the page. Bailey remained the only starter without a win, and apart from one outing (May 1st vs. STL, 6.2IP, 2ER), he had pitched lousy. Riding the wave of determination that has been recently advertised by Cincinnati, Bailey placed the adolescent season behind him and pitched wonderfully against the Pirates on Wednesday.



Notching the first complete-game shutout of his career, Homer Bailey threw only 91 pitches and allowed only four hits. Striking out six and walking none, Bailey threw 73 strikes in the Reds' 5-0 victory over the Pirates. Bailey did not allow a single batter to go to a three-ball count the entire game and only went to a two-ball count four times. Bailey and Cueto's back-to-back complete-game shutouts were the first since Jose Rijo and Tom Browning did it in 1989. Reds' manager Dusty Baker was impressed:

"That’s the most well-pitched two days that I’ve seen in a long time."

The Reds will take a day off on Thursday in preparation for a paramount three game series against the first-place St. Louis Cardinals beginning on Friday. The series will include the 2010 Gillette Civil Rights Game on Saturday. Reds legends Barry Larkin and Chuck Harmon, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, along with Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Ernie Banks and Joe Morgan will all be in attendance for the festivities May 14-15. Both teams will be rocking 1947-style throwbacks honoring the year that Jackie Robinson shattered the color barrier in Major League baseball. Here's the projected starters for the weekend:

FRI, May 14 @ 7:10pm vs. St. Louis: Aaron Harang (2-4, 6.02) vs. Jaimie Garcia (3-2, 1.18)
SAT, May 15 @ 7:10pm vs. St. Louis: Mike Leake (3-0, 3.10) vs. Adam Wainwright (5-1, 2.08)
SUN, May 16 @ 1:10pm vs. St. Louis: Bronson Arroyo (2-2, 5.36) vs. Brad Penny (3-3, 1.70)

VIEW ENTIRE ARTICLE AT WHACKREDS.COM