Until Keppinger cracked two hits Saturday, his spring batting average was .120 - not even his wife's weight.

The two hits, plus another hit and a walk Sunday, surged his average to, uh, .207, but Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker displays no concerns about the 28-yearold Georgian infielder.

"He has a track record, and that helps big-time," said Baker. "Kepp is a guy who can play a lot of positions."

When shortstop Alex Gonzalez couldn't play any games last year, Keppinger started 101 games at shortstop.

Keppinger, too, was bitten by injury when he fouled a ball off his left knee in May and fractured it. He missed 39 games.

Still, he was the toughest batter in the National League to strike out (once every 20.9 at-bats) and had the fifth-best batting average against left-handers (.360).

"Things are always subject to change, but ... you should never feel comfortable in this game, continue to improve," Baker said.

He is not concerned about Keppinger in that area, either.

"I wasn't worried about Kepp hitting, because Kepp is going to hit," Baker added. "He didn't have his stroke early this spring and everybody doesn't get their stroke at the same time."

Despite three hits in two games, Keppinger says he doesn't feel natural.

"I'm a little jumpy," he said. "I see the ball good, but I want to swing right way. Normally I wait so I can hit the ball to right field. That's just timing."

Baker says when it comes to making up his mind about his roster, he hates to use only what he sees in spring training.

"You can get fooled going only on spring training," he said. "You can go on track record, if a guy has one and what he does in spring.

"If a guy isn't hurt, there is a good chance he is going to come pretty close to what he has always done and you hope he gets better."

Keppinger owns a .289 career major-league average over 876 at-bats and while he has struggled this spring, he hit .407 last spring.

Says Keppinger, "Every year has been a grind for me, trying to impress early, because I've been with so many teams (Pirates, Mets, Royals, Reds). But to be with these guys for the last three springs, they know what I can do. It's more now of me getting ready. It is definitely easier on the mind than starting with a new team every year."