Jerry Hairston Jr. started a rehab assignment Tuesday with Class AAA Louisville, playing five innings at shortstop to test his right hamstring. He went 0-for-3.
Hairston has visions of joining the Reds on Friday in Washington after three rehab games, but manager Dusty Baker says it is more likely to be Saturday or Sunday, if all goes well. "We'll have him play some shortstop and some third base and see how many days is necessary to get him ready," said Baker. "The last step is psychological -- how much is a player going to think about the injury instead of just playing naturally?"
Do the Reds miss him? They are 28-17 in games he started.
"He is our fire-starter, our fireplug, when he bats leadoff," Baker said. "Our record with him in the lineup is a whole, whole lot better than it is without him."
ASTROS 6, REDS 2: Bronson Arroyo had two outs and nobody on base in the fifth and two strikes on Kazuo Matsui, but the Astros filled the bases and Arroyo gave up a grand slam to Carlos Lee. Cincinnati had only seven hits en route to losing its fifth straight and dropping back into last place, 13 1/2 games out.
