C. Trent Rosecrans

crosecrans@enquirer.com

Former Reds manager Dusty Baker had a policy about injured players that he'd always give them "one more day" after they felt ready to return.

Bryan Price, who spent four years under Baker, is employing the same philosophy with Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton. Despite pinch-hitting in Friday's victory over the Rockies, Hamilton was out of Saturday's lineup -- and will likely return to the lineup on Sunday, Price said.

"I think all things considered, one extra day in this case allows him to get more swings right-handed, which is the side that's giving him more trouble and really could expect him to be in there tomorrow, I think it'd be safe to say," Price said.

Price was reluctant to use Hamilton as a right-handed hitter on Friday, and even had to be talked out of letting him pinch-hit when the Rockies brought in a left-hander, Boone Logan, to start the eighth inning.

"It was one of those situations where your heart comes into play," Hamilton said after Friday's game. "(Price) was about to sit me down."

Price called Hamilton back into the dugout when Logan came on, but that's where Hamilton talked his manager into letting him try to hit right-handed.

"He told me he was going to take me out, and I was like, 'No, I'll be fine. Let me hit. It's OK.' If I'm going to hurt my hand, I'm going to do it doing something for the team," Hamilton said. "I said, 'Nah, let me hit.' He asked if I was sure -- he's a great coach and wants you healthy -- but I said, 'man, let me do it.' He trusted me and left me out there."

Hamilton led off the eighth with a double, then came around to score on a sacrifice bunt by Skip Schumaker and a sacrifice fly by Brayan Pena to give the Reds a 3-2 lead.

MESORACO CLOSE: Devin Mesoraco is eligible to be activated from the disabled list on Sunday, but it's unlikely he will, despite the positive steps he's taken in his recovery from a strained hamstring.

"I would say that's extremely unlikely," Price said of a Sunday activation. "I hate to say 'never,' but I would be pretty close to say never, that it's not going to happen tomorrow, no."

Mesoraco, though, should play sometime this week in a minor league game -- or at least that's the plan as of Saturday. Rain scuttled Mesoraco's plan of running the bases before Saturday's game, but he said he did "simulated" base running on the track behind the Reds' dugout before the game and felt great.

"Everything felt fine," Mesoraco said. "There's no worries at this point, we're going to go out and play a game or two somewhere and go from there."

CINGRANI ON SCHEDULE: Price said left-hander Tony Cingrani was on track to return in time to pitch either Friday or Saturday in Philadelphia. Cingrani is eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday. He was placed on the DL on May 1 with what the club called mild shoulder tendinitis.

"He threw a light bullpen yesterday and it went well," Price said. "Our plan is to have him ready for the Philadelphia series When that time comes, we want him to feel like it's his Opening Day again, we want his arm to feel that good. We don't want 80 percent recovery, we want 100 percent recovery.

"We don't want to have to go back down the same road, similar with what we did last year with his hip and back soreness. We want it to be all the way back where he feels like he's ready for Opening Day. If he's not ready by whatever that is, the 16th or 17th, then we find somebody else to make that start and activate him when he feels like he's 100 percent ready."

LATOS TO THROW BULLPEN: Right-hander Mat Latos threw long toss on Friday and Saturday and is scheduled to throw a bullpen on Sunday.

However, Latos noted he's been to this point before and isn't getting too excited until he's actually activated.

Latos is dealing with a flexor mass strain in his right elbow.

MASSET RETURNS:

There were plenty of smiles and hugs for former Reds reliever Nick Masset when he returned to Great American Ball Park on Friday as a member of the Rockies.

Masset hadn't appeared in a big-league game since 2011 when he pitched against the Rangers last Sunday. Masset suffered a right shoulder injury in 2011 and wasn't able to pitch in the big leagues in 2012 or anywhere in 2013.

Masset signed a two-year deal with the Reds before the 2012 season, but never pitched for the team under that contract. He was a free agent after 2013 and signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies. After eight scoreless appearances for the Rockies' Triple-A team in Colorado Springs, the Rockies called him up last week. He's made two appearances since, pitching a scoreless inning against the Rangers in both outings.

There were plenty of people who doubted Masset would ever pitch in the big leagues again -- but Masset said he wasn't one of them.

"I wouldn't use the word 'doubt' -- I'd probably say there were a few times where I just was unsure if I knew if this thing was going to turn over," Masset said before Saturday's game. "All I wanted to make sure I did was to make sure I worked as hard as I could day-in and day-out, whether it's strengthening or nutrition -- whatever I could do so I could look back and say that I wish I would have done it differently."

Even though he's now with the Rockies, he said much of the credit for his return goes to the Reds.

"All-in-all, I was surrounded by a lot of good people," Masset said. "I can't say enough about the Reds' trainers and the organization over there and everything they helped me with to try to get back and (head athletic trainer) Paul Lessard and (medical director) Tim Kremchek and all the guys getting me back into form to allow me to get a chance to get back on the field again -- and here I am."

Here, now, is Great American Ball Park, a place he called home for five years -- even if Masset was talking from a place he hadn't spent much time in, the visitor's clubhouse.

"It's definitely not the same," he said. "It's a little weird being on this side, it's exciting at the same time to be back in this ballpark, just to be able to be back healthy and all-in-all, everything's going really good."

But there were plenty of people from the Reds' clubhouse happy to see Masset back in a uniform -- any uniform.

"A lot of good relationships, a lot of really good guys over there, a lot of good guys in that organization from top to bottom," Masset said. "I enjoyed my five years over there. That's part of the business, you move on. It's a good fit for me over here."