John Fay

jfay@enquirer.com

BOSTON -- Reds manager Bryan Price went through the litany of injury updates, then paused and said: "It's mind-numbing to have to talk about all these injuries."

The multitude of injuries has become the storyline of the Reds' season. They have had 11 different players on the disabled list. Eight are currently on the DL.

The next one to come off will be closer Aroldis Chapman. Chapman has gotten roughed up in his two rehab outings for Triple-A Louisville. He allowed eight runs on seven hits and only recorded three outs.

Price is reserving judgment.

"We've got to certainly talk to the people who saw him," Price said. "We'll get some feedback from the people who saw him and get a feeling. He obviously wasn't terribly sharp. He got hit, walked guys, hit a guy. It wasn't an excellent outing. We'd like when we activate him that he be ready to go. We'll make an assessment in the next couple of days."

Johnny Cueto gave up six runs to a Single-A team in his last outing before Opening Day. That's why Price wants to talk to the coaches before judging Chapman's readiness.

"I think sometimes these guys go down and see it as a rehab and not as competition." Price said. "I think we have to look at every opportunity to pitch as competition, so I'd like to get some feedback from (Bats manager) Jim Riggleman and (pitching coach) Ted Power on how he pitched.

"When we activate him, he's activated," Price said. "We want to make sure he's right. We don't want to activate him prematurely."

When Chapman returns and he's his usual self, it helps the bullpen.

"The advantage is not having to lean as much – we've leaned a lot on (Sam) LeCure and (Manny) Parra in games where we've been ahead," Price said. "(J.J.) Hoover's throwing the ball better, which puts less pressure on Sam. It puts us in a situation where we don't have to lean on the same guys."

MESORACO UPDATE: Catcher Devin Mesoraco, on the DL with a left hamstring strain, is progressing. He's eligible to return Sunday, but that sounds like a stretch at this point.

"He's jogging," Price said. "He's doing all his exercises and treatments each day. I don't believe there's any sprinting involved yet."

Mesoraco has been hitting in the cage the last week or so.

LONG TOSS LATOS: Price will wait to see Mat Latos long toss before he moves to the next step of his rehab.

Latos mentioned throwing from 120 feet.

"If you know Mat, on his start days he gets out there from the right field line to almost dead center field," Price said. "It's a pretty significant long toss. That's not the goal. But when you go from that distance at 120 feet, he can do that without moving his feet. Long toss becomes long toss when have to move your feet to get the ball to where you want it to end up.

"He's such a big, strong guy he can flick his wrist and throw it 120 feet. My feeling was we want to him beyond 200 feet. Get him out there to 220, 240 feet where he's firm and aggressive and he has to reach and extend to finish his throws.

"That to me is better barometer if he's ready to get off the mound."

FENWAY FACTOR: Price did not want his pitchers to pitch any differently in Fenway Park with the relatively short left field.

"I think you can get in trouble when you try to pitch to a certain ballpark," Price said. "If you're trying to stay away on the right-handed hitters and in on the left-handed hitters to keep ball away from left field, it can get you outside your strengths as a pitcher.

"The most important thing is to keep the ball down and get more balls on the ground than in the air."