Though the official playoff roster will not be announced until Wednesday, Reds' manager Dusty Baker has made his decision on the team's rotation for the Divisional Playoff round.

GAME 1 - Wednesday
Cincinnati Reds (Edinson Volquez) at Philadelphia Phillies (Roy Halladay) - 5:07 PM

GAME 2 - Friday
Cincinnati Reds (Bronson Arroyo) at Philadelphia Phillies (Roy Oswalt) - 6:07 PM

GAME 3 - Sunday
Philadelphia Phillies (Cole Hamels) at Cincinnati Reds (Johnny Cueto) - TBD

MLB 2010 mlb playoffs, cincinnati reds, philadelphia phillies, edinson volquez, bronson arroyo, johnny cueto

700WLW's Lance McAlister breaks down the candidates to be in the Reds' playoff rotation:

TRAVIS WOOD
Plus: He's the only LHP

Questions: He's been very hittable in the last month. He's already blown past his career high in innings

Last 5 starts: 1-2, 3.54 ERA, .297 BAA. 28 innings, 33 hits, 11 ER, 7 BB, 26 K

vs potential playoff teams in '10
Phillies: 9 ING, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K, ND, 0.00 ERA
Rockies: 11 ING, 8 H, 4 ER, 6 BB, 12 K, record 0-1, 3.27 ERA

EDINSON VOLQUEZ
Plus: Has best stuff of the candidates. Seems to have worked out issues at Dayton. Dominant last two starts.

Questions: Can he stay consistent?

Last 2 starts since Dayton: 13.2 ING, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 17 K, 1.98 ERA, .149 BAA

vs potential playoff teams in '10
Braves: 5 ING, 3 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, 1.80 ERA, Win
Giants: .2 ING, 5 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 225.0 ERA, Loss
Rockies: 6 ING, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 2.00 ERA, Win

HOMER BAILEY
Plus: When he gets rolling he can be very good

Questions: Can he be consistent? Any worries over issues of dizziness?

Since Aug 15 (came off DL): 2-1, team 7-1 in his 8 starts 46.1 IP, 44 H, 20 ER, 15 BB, 43 K, 2 HR, 3.88 ERA, .251 BAA

vs potential playoff teams in '10
Padres: 6 ING, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K,6.00 ERA, Win
Giants: 5.1 ING, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 8.82 ERA, No decision

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The Cincinnati Reds placed starting pitcher Aaron Harang on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday due to stiffness in his back retroactive to June 30. The veteran right hander will be eligible to come off on July 16.

In Harang’s place, the Reds turned to lefty Matt Maloney on Tuesday night against the Mets. The youngster hung in during his first start in the majors this season but was no match for Johan Santana. who fired a three-hit shutout. Maloney picked up the loss as he gave three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.

The Reds are expected to activate Edinson Volquez sometime in the near future and will likely get Harang back shortly after the break.  The depth of starting pitching in the organization is definitely an asset and something this franchise hasn’t seen in sometime.

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The Cincinnati Reds sit in first place in the N.L. Central, but if they are going to stay there they are going to have to figure some things out with their pitching.

Injuries are forcing their hand with the team’s starting rotation.

Homer Bailey (shoulder) suffered a setback in his stint and has been shut down indefinitely.  He made one start at Triple A Louisville, but experienced soreness and swelling afterwards.

Sam LeCure has filled in decently, but has faced some tough opponents (Chris Carpenter, Matt Cain, and Zach Greinke) over his last three starts. His overall numbers bad – 4 starts, 1-3, 3.75 ERA, 16 K, 15 BB in 24 innings.

Bronson Arroyo had one bad inning in his last outing versus Kansas City, but has been the team’s most consistent performers.

After a shaky start, Aaron Harang is actually pitching effective innings of late, allowing five runs over 18 innings in his last three starts.

Johnny Cueto has had flashes of brilliance, but is simply too inconsistent to be counted on a stopper.

With Bailey on the mend and Edinson Volquez recovering nicely from Tommy John surgery and targeting a late-July return, the Reds are going to have to make some decisions.

Add to it the fact the team has $30 million tied up in Cuban signee Aroldis Chapman and the intense pressure to bring him up and it gets interesting.

The team also needs to address its struggling bullpen. Outside of Arthur Rhodes, manager Dusty Baker has not been able to count on the unit.

General manager Walt Jocketty indicated on Monday that he is considering moving two left-handed starters from the minors, Travis Wood and Matt Maloney, to the majors to help in the bullpen. It is reportedly not yet being considered for Chapman. A trade should not be ruled out either.

“We’re looking internally and outside,” Jocketty told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “We haven’t come to any conclusion. But we’re trying to determine which way to go in the next day or two.”

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Major League Baseball has suspended Reds' pitcher Edinson Volquez for 50 games for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. The right-hander hasn't pitched since June and is currently on the 60-day DL as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The suspension of Volquez, who is on the 60-day disabled list, will be effective on Wednesday. He can serve the time while on the DL but will lose 50 games worth of pay, according to MLB.com.

Statement from Edinson Volquez
"Prior to the conclusion of last season, my wife and I sought medical advice in Cincinnati with the hope of starting a family. As part of my consultation with the physician, I received certain prescribed medications to treat my condition. As a follow up to our original consultation, my wife and I visited another physician in our home city in the Dominican Republic this past off-season. This physician also gave me certain prescribed medications as part of my treatment. Unfortunately, I now know that the medication the physician in the Dominican gave me is one that is often used to treat my condition, but is also a banned substance under Major League Baseball's drug policy. As a result, I tested positive when I reported to spring training.

Although I understand that I must accept responsibility for this mistake and have chosen not to challenge my suspension, I want to assure everyone that this was an isolated incident involving my genuine effort to treat a common medical issue and start a family. I was not trying in any way to gain an advantage in my baseball career. I am embarrassed by this whole situation and apologize to my family, friends, fans, teammates, and the entire Reds Organization for being a distraction and for causing them any difficulty. I simply want to accept the consequences, learn from the mistake, and continue to strive to be the best person and baseball player I can be."

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Opening Day is still four weeks away but the talk has already begun in Cincinnati about how good can this team be. There are many questions left to be answered between now and April 5th. Will the starting rotation live up to the hype that a lot are giving it even without Edinson Volquez? Who will fill that fifth spot in the rotation? Will Aroldis Chapman make the team out of spring training and will he live up to the hype surrounding him? Will Scott Rolen fill in nicely as the full-time third baseman this year and as a mentor to some of the younger guys coming up? Who will start in left field? Center field? And so on. But one of the more pressing questions facing the team is will the once considered phenom, Jay Bruce, have a bounce back year and finally come into his own? With the way things look early on in spring training, the answer to that question very well could be yes.

Bruce missed almost 60 games last season after breaking his right wrist diving to catch a ball. Before the injury he wasn't having a stellar season with the bat and finished the season batting a disappointing .223 with 22 home runs and just 58 RBIs. Bruce almighty, not so much. However, on a positive note, after coming back from the disabled list, Bruce caught fire and over his last 18 games he hit .326 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. Ending the season in that way gave Reds' fans hope for the 2010 season.

That hope has carried over into spring training where fans have seen Bruce continue to hit. In seven games he is hitting .357 and has one home run. Like most of the rest of the lineup for the Reds, Bruce always seemed to be trying to do to much at the plate rather than just concentrating on getting the bat on the ball. With inconsistent hitting in the lineup from top to bottom, with the exception of Joey Votto when healthy, everyone seemed to try to push too hard, including Bruce. With the adjustments he made at the end of last season, Bruce is attempting to become a more complete hitter, not trying to step up to the plate and hit a four-run homerun every time.

In order for this team to succeed, guys like Bruce need to become more consistent. At 23 years old, a lot of pressure is resting on the shoulders of #32. Bruce was looked at as being the guy to replace Adam Dunn once he was traded off to Arizona a couple years ago. The thought was that he had a better overall skill set than Dunn. He didn't have as much power, but he could hit for average and had a little pop in the bat while being able to play decent defense in the outfield. The way last season went, it was hard to tell that this guy was supposed to be one of the next big things in the game. The one two punch that was to be of Bruce and Votto didn't come to be as most thought it might last season. With the way things are looking for Bruce early on in spring training, there's reason to believe that maybe, just maybe this is the year he truly arrives in the big leagues. Yes, its only spring training and where they play out in Arizona does favor hitters, if a guy can hit, he can hit. It doesn't matter what part of the country he's playing in.

While there are many questions still to be answered leading up to Opening Day, one thing is for sure; Bruce has the skills to be one of the most consistent and feared hitters in the game. The National League Central is wide open this year. If the Reds are going to compete for the division title this year, they are going to need Bruce to be the player they thought he would be when he arrived on the scene a couple years ago. His new found patience at the plate could turn him into just that player.

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John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer recently wrote an article concentrating on reasons for hope for the Cincinnati Reds in 2010.  The one- sided look at the Reds seemed promotional and, for long- suffering Reds fans, repetitive.  The mainstream print media that follows the Reds rarely gives a realistic approach at the present and future (and it too often paints the past with rainbows and pots of gold).  The truth is, the Reds do have some hope for 2010, but there are some major obstacles to overcome- obstacles that most good teams do not have to deal with.  So as the 2009 season comes to a close, here are a realist's top seven reasons to fill your Reds mug half- full, followed by the top seven reasons to pour out the contents of your Reds mug.

Top Seven Positives for the 2010 Reds Season:

7.  Though bullpens are the most unpredictable group on any Major League team from year- to- year, this group seems a strong bet to be amongst the NL's best again next year.  Nick Masset (1.03 WHIP, 70 Ks in 76 IP), Arthur Rhodes (1.07 WHIP, 48 Ks in 53.33 IP) and Francisco Cordero (1.32 WHIP, 58 K in 66.66 IP), in that order, would star in anyone's bullpen.  Carlos Fisher, Daniel Ray Herrera, and Jared Burton are solid, promising setup men who are cheap, just like they are supposed to be.

6.  The 27-13 finish in the last 40 games is pretty impressive.  Sure, it seemed like they played the Pirates and Astros for half of those games, but aren't they supposed to beat bad teams?  Do the critics want them to lose those games?  At the same time, it was the Pirates and Astros and those teams were fielding minor league lineups that would lose consistently in Triple- A; as a result, it's hard to measure just how good Drew Stubbs, Wladimir Balentien, and Darnell McDonald are.  Remember, Joe Nunnally and Chris Stines had hot Septembers too.

5.  Jay Bruce had a huge last month.  Going into the last weekend of the season, in which he continued to sit the bench for long stretches (?!?!),  Bruce was mashing at a .353/ .463/ .765 clip since his return from the DL.  The Reds still need a big bat in the middle of the lineup (Scott Rolen is not that bat) and Bruce is the only hope for that answer.

4.  The Reds' defense is vastly improved from the start of the year.  Edwin Encarnacion, the starting third basemen on Opening Day, has been the worst fielding 3B by all advanced defensive metrics every year for the last THREE years!  Alex Gonzalez had lost a step or two at shortstop and Willy Taveras, Manager Dusty Baker's personal recruit to play center field, showed that he was almost as awful in the field as he was at the plate.  They have been replaced by Rolen, Paul Janish, and Stubbs respectively and the comparison is like night and day.  Not to be overlooked is Jay Bruce's stellar outfield play.  If he had not been injured and missed almost two months, he would probably have led the league in outfield assists and deserved a gold glove.

3.  Its probable that Homer Bailey has turned the corner and become the star pitcher that everyone envisioned for years.  Every contender needs a hammer and with Aaron Harang no longer in that role, Bailey seems ready to lead the Reds in their biggest games.  With Bailey, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, and Harang as the probable #1 through #4 starters, the Reds rival the Cardinals for the best starting staff in the NL Central going into the offseason.

2.  The emergence of young players such as Bruce, Bailey, Joey Votto, Balentien, Herrera, Fisher, Stubbs, Janish, Ryan Hanigan and a few others have tremendously upgraded the overall talent of this roster over the past year.  Compare those names to these winners from 2008:  Corey Patterson, Andy Phillips, Scott Hatteberg, Norris Hopper, Danny Richar, Ryan Freel, Jolbert Cabrera, Gary Majewski, and Matt Belisle.  Sure some of these guys played sparingly (Phillips and Hatteberg), but some were counted on to play major roles in 2008:  Freel, Majewski, Belisle and, of course, Patterson.  Yikes!  The Reds are much deeper today.

1.  The NL Central is weak and may be weaker next year.  This season, Pittsburgh proceded to build for the future by trading bad players for more bad players.  There is no light appearing in their tunnel yet.  Houston has an aging roster and the worst minor league system in all of baseball- not a good combination.  Chicago is similar to Houston; they have an aging roster, a thin minors, but add on some expensive contracts that hang like albatrosses in the form of Milton Bradley, Kosuke Fukudome and Carlos Zambrano.  Milwaukee may have the worst starting pitching staff in the NL this side of the Potomic River.  That leaves the Reds and Cardinals.  The Cardinals cannot resign Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, Troy Glaus, Rick Ankiel, Joel Pineiro and Todd Wellemeyer- all free agents.  Their defections will hurt, but only Holliday is irreplaceable.  If they re- sign him, the Reds are playing for the Wild Card.

Top Seven Negatives for the 2010 Reds Season:

7.  Scott Rolen's age has affected his hitting.  His power numbers are down.  Since 2006, when he slugged .518 for the Cardinals, he has slugged .398, .431 and .401 in the second half for the Reds (though he slugged .476 with the Blue Jays before he was traded).  His leadership and defense are still outstanding, but he should hit in the #2 spot in the order now because he is a different hitter.  This may not be a problem on most teams, but our inept manager will miscast him and therefore, underuse him in the fifth slot.

6.  Edison Volquez is out of action until next July and there is no satisfactory candidate to be the fifth starter.  Justin Lehr is a good #8 starter so he should be signed to a minor league contract.  Micah Ownings is not a major league pitcher or hitter.  Matt Maloney is possible, but inspires no confidence.  Triple- A pitcher Travis Wood (1.21 WHIP, 32 Ks in 48.66 IP) is probably the best answer.

5.  Willy Taveras is under contract for one more year.  It is easy for us to say that Reds owner Bob Castellini should eat the $4 million- its not our money.  Odds are that Taveras is back for 2010 and, combined with Manager Dusty Baker's affection for him, its possible he may still be starting in CF and batting first.  We can only pray that Drew Stubbs does not slump in Goodyear, Arizona or GM Walt Jocketty takes the Taveras toy away from little Dusty.  Early odds of Taveras starting on Opening Day:  2:1.

4.  The Reds Minor Leagues are as thin as they have been since the barren years of the Jim Bowden regime.  Some of it is just natural; you do not graduate talent like Bruce, Votto, Bailey and Stubbs and maintain lofty talent rankings.  But some of it is poor drafting.  There are no impact players of the ilk of Bruce and Bailey in the entire system.  Yonder Alonzo is the closest with Yorman Rodriguez, newly drafted Billy Hamilton, and 2009 ninth- round steal Brian Pearl having some underdog possibilities.  There are solid prospects like Todd Frazier, Chris Heisey, Juan Francisco, Ezequiel Infante and Zach Cozart and arguably one or two others, but then the talent falls off a cliff.

3.  Either shortstop or catcher needs to be upgraded for next year.  It is hard to have three sinkholes (including the pitcher) in any lineup, particularly when the moron making the lineup will pencil one sinkhole in the #2 slot.  Janish batted a miserable .211/ .296/ .305 in 256 at bats.  Ryan Hanigan, the likely starter next year, batted .263/ .361/ .331 in 251 at bats, but those numbers were inflated by a hot start to the year.  Both are excellent defensive players and deserve to be on the roster, but only one can start on a NL team.  A trade for a catcher who can get on base at a .350 clip or moving Brandon Phillips to shortstop and signing Orlando Hudson to play second base are the two best options.

2.  Dusty Baker's lineup skills are in a unverse all by themselves and that universe is Bizarro World.  This column has criticized Baker over the last two years and last Sunday, Baseball Prospectus took their turn roasting Baker.  Now the ball is back in our court.  To his credit, the man has fantastic people skills.  His stories and memories have won over the local press so much so that they refuse to expose the man for the fraudulent manager that he is.  To borrow a stat from Baseball Prospectus... Baker's combined 2009 number one and number two hitters in the lineup hit .245/ .301/ .345!!!!  Staggering.  Playing Taveras and then batting him leadoff was bad enough, but hitting Janish second?  How did the Reds win 78 games?  Any replacement for Baker would be an upgrade, including my son's Kindergarten teacher.

1.  The Reds' 2010 payroll is as flexible as Rush Limbaugh on the health care debate.  Cordero ($12 million), Harang ($12.5 million), Arroyo ($11 million) and Rolen ($11 million) will make up around two- thirds of the total payroll, which should be roughly $70 million.  Add on Phillips ($6 million), Taveras ($4 million), Mike Lincoln ($2.5 million) and Rhodes ($2 million) and $61 million of the $70 million payroll is already allocated.  With only Phillips and Rhodes being appealing in a trade (but unlikely to go)... ladies and gentlemen, meet your 2010 Cincinnati Reds.  They have needs are little means to satisfy them.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Edinson Volquez underwent Tommy John surgery Monday morning and will miss 12 months or more.

That is a huge blow to the Reds, at least in the immediate future.

Volquez was limited to just nine starts a year after going 17-6 and taking the National League by storm and earning a trip to the All-Star Game.

Many fans will point the finger to manager Dusty Baker, and he certainly deserves some blame. However, I am more upset about the fact that it comes in a season in which the young right-hander participated in the World Baseball Classic.

As I pointed out on my blog post here on GSI this past March, the World Baseball Classic kills pitchers.

Of the 59 pitchers who participated in the event back in 2006 (that pitched 20 or more innings in 2005 and 2006) an amazing 78% posted a higher ERA in 2006; 42% registered an ERA that increased by one run or more; and the average ERA of the WBC group jumped from 3.69 in '05 to 4.37 in '06, following the WBC. Injuries were also a factor as 36% of the 77 pitcher who appeared in the WBC were placed on the DL during the '06 season.

“When they had the first World Baseball Classic, I noticed that a lot of guys who participated in that didn't go to this one,” Reds' pitching coach Dick Pole told the Dayton Daily News. “They saw the effects of that one. That's a very, very early time to get ready. You can say what you want, but when you get in a game that means something, you are going to compete as hard as you can compete and it's tough on the arm.

The paper also added that before the WBC, Volquez and Johnny Cueto pitched winter ball in the Dominican Republic, something the Reds cannot control. They can’t forbid them to pitch in winter ball, only ask, and as Manager Dusty Baker says, “There is a lot of pressure on them, not only to compete in their native countries, but to compete at a high level.”

MORE WBC PITCHER WOES

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The Cincinnati Reds' midterm report card was mailed home this past week.  Let's go to the mailbox...

Manager, Dusty Baker:  F... His inexplicable insistance to play Willy Taveras and bat him first merits a pink slip.  This move alone has probably cost the Reds multiple games this year and it is not going to change any time soon.  Baker is a stubborn man who has consistently done this in the past with such notables as Neifi Perez and Corey Patterson.  He is who is he is and nobody is going to change that.  It is frustrating to watch his lineups flounder and it will lead him onto the same road to the Managerial Graveyard that Ray Knight and Bob Boone took out of here.

General Manager, Walt Jocketty:  C... Although Dusty Baker pushed for the Taveras signing, it was ultimately Jocketty's decision to sign the man who has cost the Reds so dearly.  The second biggest mistake he made was not signing or trading for a right handed bat, but there was not much on the market.  On the plus side, he did grab Johnny Gomes and Lance Nix for the bench- two solid moves.  Re-signing David Weathers and bringing in Arthur Rhodes were good moves.  The Ramon Hernandez addition has been a big improvement over last year's catchers.

Chris Buckley, Scouting Director:  C... The Reds' draft in June was conservative.  In the first round, there were plenty of high- ceiling, high school pitchers available, but the Reds were scared of their price tags and went with Mike Leake, a college pitcher, who should have been drafted about 12 to 15 picks later.  That has been Buckley's strategy for most of the past few years.  The lone exception was the 2007 pick of high school catcher Devin Mesoraco who has been nothing short of a disappointment.  Outside of Leake, the best two picks amongst the Reds 51 selections were second- round pick Billy Hamilton from Taylorsville HS (MS) who is generally regarded as the best athelte in the state of Mississippi and Cal State Fullerton outfielder Josh Fellhauer (7th round) who can just plain hit.

Ramon Hernandez, C/ 1B:  C... Filled in admirably at first base when Joey Votto was on the DL, but has been outplayed in almost every facet of the game by his backup.

Ryan Hanigan, C:  A... With a line of .338/ .429/ .407, he deserves to play a lot more, but that will not happen with his present manager (do the Assistant Coaches say anything to Baker about his lineups or are they just as oblivious?).  His defense behind the plate is the best Reds fans have seen in a long, long time.

Joey Votto, 1B: A-... If he had not missed over 30 games with stress disorder, his grade would have probably been an A+.  He is easily the Reds' best player and is one of their best hitters of this lost decade.  It is too bad so few teammates are on base when he is hitting.  I wonder if there is another three- hole hitter in MLB who hits with less people on base than Joey Votto.

Brandon Phillips, 2B: A- ... At seond base, Phillips is an elite player.  If he played any corner position, he would be an average player.  He would be a better hitter if he pulled the ball more and got rid of his inside- out swing that creates flyballs to RF.  He is one of the worst outside- pitch hitters I've ever seen.

Jerry Hairston, U: D... His specialty, on- base percentage, is now his albatross.  A .307 OBP, while easily beating Taveras' OBP, does not cut it if you do not have power.  I would sure like to see him steal more bases.

Paul Janish, SS: D... Janish is a great fielder- as good as Alex Gonzalez, but he cannot hit major league pitching.  He shows no sign of getting better either.

Alex Gonzalez, SS: F... The Reds signed Gonzalez to a three- year, $15 million contract in winter of 2006- 2007 and have almost nothing to show for it.  He had 393 at bats in 2007, none in 2008, and 182 unproductive at bats this year.  His pre- injury stat line of .214/ .256/ .302 would find him cut on most MLB teams, but it found him batting second for Dusty Baker!  Unbelieveable.

Edwin Encarnacion: 3B, F... This grade may change the most in the season's second half.  Look for Encarnacion to be the second most productive Red over the next three months now that he's fully healthy.  It would be nice if his manager batted him fourth or fifth instead of seventh or eighth.  Unbelieveable.

Adam Rosales, U: F... He has won the hearts of Reds fans, but he is really is not even a major league sub.  His numbers are worse than Taveras':  .198/ .285/ .282.

Drew Sutton, U: I... He has not had enough at bats with the Reds yet, but his patience at the plate has been impressive.  He better be careful with that patience, that will get him buried on the bench on this club.  Unbeliveable.

Laynce Nix, OF: C... Nix is a great bench player, but not a starter.  The league has begun to catch up to him and his numbers have recently declined.  He should never, ever, face a left handed pitcher.

Jonny Gomes, OF: B-... He is very similar to Nix.  He is not quite as good on defense, but is an good platoon player from the right hand side.

Chris Dickerson, OF: B-... He plays superior defense to Taveras, runs the bases as well as Taveras (except he needs to get dirty on pick off throws!), has more power than Taveras, and reaches base far more often than Taveras.  As a result, Dusty Baker plays Taveras.  Unbelieveable. 

Jay Bruce, OF:  C+ ... Sure, his offensive numbers are disappointing and he will now be out of the lineup until September, but his defense has progressed such that he is one of the better defensive outfielders in the league and his power numbers are still alive and kicking.

Willy Taveras, OF: F- ... What is worse than his .243/ .285/ .294 line from the leadoff spot?  How about another year of it?  He is signed through 2010!  His defense has been just as bad as his hitting- how can a centerfielder be tied for third on a team in errors?  He consistently gets terrible breaks on balls hit behind him.  Finally, he has only stolen 17 bases this year is just 22 attempts.  Why is he not running?  Watch his running habits- he rarely steals within five pitches on getting on base.  He has a negative value and is not a major leaguer.

Aaron Harang, SP: C- ... He has never been the same since Baker used him in extended relief in San Diego last season.  He has been inconsistent, but not as inconsistent as...

Bronson Arroyo, SP: C ... His numbers (5.07 E.R.A., 1.45 WHIP, 21 HRs allowed in 119 innings) are somewhat misleading.  He has had a few outings in which he was awful, but at the same time, he is on a 16- inning scoreless streak that could signal another second- half surge for Arroyo.

Edison Volquez, SP:  D ... The Verducci Effect is real.  I noted that Volqez qualified for it after last year.  Hopefully, you fantasy players listened and stayed away from him at your drafts.  If you did not pay attention, here is that rule again:  A major league pitcher who is under 25 should not throw 30 more innings than the previous season's total (unless there was an injury).  If he does so, cue the D.L. for the following season.

Micah Owings, SP:  C+ ... I'm not sure Owings will ever get more than a C+.  He is just not that good.  He is a major league #5 starter who can hit. 

Johnny Cueto, SP: B+ ... His two most recent starts have been terrible and have ruined some great first half numbers.  At the same time, he had been one of the luckiest pitchers in the Majors up to that time at stranding runners on base.  That eventually catches up to people, just ask Jimmy Haynes.

Homer Bailey, SP:  C- ... The big reason he was having so much success in Triple- A recently was his newly found pitch, the split fingered fastball.  So why is he not throwing it much here?  Is it because hitters here will lay off of the pitch?  If so, his recent success will be mixed in with poor outings and he will only be a back- end rotation thrower.  Better control of his fastball is the other key.

The Bullpen:  A- ... The strength of this team is led by overpaid All- Star Francisco Cordero and the dominant Arthur Rhodes.  David Weathers has not been nearly as bad as some may think (3.26 E.R.A, 1.22 WHIP, 14 BB, 19 K in 30.3 innings).  He has just blown up in some close games.  Nick Masset has been a pleasant surprise and youngsters Josh Roenicke, Daniel Ray Herrera, Robert Manuel and Carlos Fisher have helped and should contribute for years (especially Herrera).  Jared Burton has been the big disappointment here.

Overall:  C- ... It could have been a lot better.  The season seems to be slowly slipping away here in July.  It feels like an inevitable breakup with a girlfriend- you know the bad news is coming, but you want to avoid it.  As the Trade Deadline approaches over the next two weeks, the Reds should certainly be sellers and not buyers.  They do not match up with the Brewers and Cardinals and still will not match up after adding a bat.  If they added a bat, got some positive consistency from the starting pitching, fired a manager, and cut a centerfielder then hope would still shine, but that is not going to happen.

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WIRE TO WIRE -  Dan Clasgens and Greg Shoemaker talk Reds baseball on GetSportsRadio.com (6/26)

Edinson Volquez, a 17-game winner for the Reds last season, received news yesterday that he won't be rejoining the Reds anytime soon.

The 25-year old right-hander had a second MRI taken on his right arm. It revealed there still was inflammation on the muscle between the forearm and the elbow. He was told to shut down his throwing program until it reduces completely.

Volquez, who isn't traveling with the team, has been on the 15-day disabled list since June 2 with elbow tendinitis. He pitched just one inning in that game, which was his first start back from a stint on the DL due to back spasms. 

The Reds aren't expecting to have the starter back until after the all-star break.

"With a starting pitcher, you need time to build back up and have rehab starts," head trainer Mark Mann told Reds.com. "You're probably talking beyond the All-Star break."
 
The Reds still need a starter to fill Volquez's rotation spot for Saturday at Cleveland. His first replacement, Matt Maloney, already was optioned back to Triple-A Louisville last Saturday. 

No pitcher was formally named, but all indications are that Homer Bailey will be brought back up from Louisville. Bailey's next rotation turn for the Bats also happens to be on Saturday.

Bailey is 4-0 in his last five starts with a 0.47 ERA since learning a new split-finger pitch. More importantly, Bailey has only walked seven batters while striking out 38.

LINKS:
Volquez to be out longer than expected
Volquez injury worse than believed

MLB edinson volquez, injury, allstar break, cincinnati, reds