C. Trent Rosecrans

crosecrans@enquirer.com

Joey Votto didn't respond as well as the team would've like from his first attempt at taking ground balls on Wednesday, manager Bryan Price said Friday.

Votto, on the disabled list with a left distal quad strain since July 8, started his baseball activities on Wednesday with ground balls and continued them on Thursday by swinging the bat. He is not with the team in Pittsburgh, though.

"He can get as much done there as here," Price said. "He took a few ground balls (Wednesday). It wasn't as good a result as we had hoped. There was still some fairly significant discomfort when he got lateral side-to-side so we had back off with that and stay with some strengthening and whatever the physical therapy protocols are. We hope when we get back there are some marked improvement. He took some light swings yesterday and he'll be able to gradually increase baseball workload based on how he feels."

There is no indication at this point that the Reds are willing to publicly state that Votto won't return this season, even though there are just 27 games remaining after Friday's game in Pittsburgh.

The positive news is that Price said from all the people he's talked to, there's no worry about this being the type of injury that will become chronic and affect Votto for years to come.

"I think if there was a concern about this being a long term that could set him back or with him chronically for the rest of his career, we wouldn't be considering playing him in September," Price said. "From a practical standpoint, if we get him out there playing and he hurts it again that this would affect his career, we wouldn't consider playing him at all."

NEGRON IN AGAIN: Kristopher Negron likes to think of his role -- at the minor-league level and so far this year with the Reds -- as a "spark plug."

It's not just in his mind, either, as manager Bryan Price has taken notice.

"He's given us a boost. It's not necessarily statistical stuff; it's from an energy perspective, it's like you're playing with fresh legs," Price said. "Even though he's been playing regularly in Triple-A, he's come up here been very good defensively, he's been great on the bases, he's quick down the line. There's a lot of things he can do for us offensively to do some of the things we like to do. He can hit and run, he can defend at all different positions, he can steal a base. He's done a lot of good things to where we say, this is a nice player who is coming into his own in his later years. It's been a nice boost for us."

Negron entered Friday's game hitting .275/.327/.484 with four home runs in 16 games and 12 starts. He's played four different positions, starting games at second base and third base, while also playing in left field and shortstop.

The 28-year-old was acquired from Boston in the trade that sent shortstop Alex Gonzalez to the Red Sox in 2009. He made his debut in 2012, appearing in four games during June but suffered a season-ending knee injury after he was sent back to Louisville.

"It feels great to get this opportunity again," said Negron. "Coming off my knee surgery I didn't know if I was going to be able to come back healthy and if I'd ever get the opportunity again. I'm very lucky and grateful for that and just try to come out and play hard every day and try to be a spark plug."

And that means, as much as anything, going all-out, all the time.

"It's the only way I know how to play -- I play hard no matter what," Negron said. "That's the way I grew up playing. I don't know how to play any other way."

FAMILIAR LINEUP: Friday the Reds' starting lineup had the first eight players that it did Thursday -- and Wednesday. It's just the second time this year the Reds had the same starting lineup in three straight games.

Price said he prefers a set lineup, in part because that is usually an indication of a team that is healthy and productive. It's tough to say the Reds' lineup has been much of either this year.

The last time the Reds had the same lineup for three straight games was April 27-30. There are five players who were in both of those streaks -- Billy Hamilton, Todd Frazier, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Zack Cozart.

Price said he liked what he saw from his offense in the last two games against the Cubs -- even beyond the seven runs scored in each game.

"(Thursday) was such a disciplined approach, as far as making (Jake) Arrieta work, making him establish that he was going to command the zone," Price said. "We gave him the chance to run into some deep counts. I think with what we're trying to establish here from an offensive perspective, it was really a step in the right direction. Now it's a matter of me seeing if we can continue it. If so, there would certainly be a reason to consider rolling this group out collectively a little more often."

MAT DADDY: Starter Mat Latos is back in Cincinnati with his wife and their newborn son, but will rejoin the team in Baltimore for his scheduled start on Tuesday.

"For us to make the move now, a few days after she had the baby, it would have sent up some red flags," Price said. "He wanted to pitch. We wanted him to pitch on turn. We went that route knowing we'd lose the ability to do that transaction."

Because Latos is a starter, and made his scheduled start on Wednesday and will make his start on Tuesday, there was no reason to add an extra player.