Reds may lean on Cingrani in second half

The Reds are keeping the possibility of Tony Cingrani returning to the rotation open, Reds manager Bryan Price said before Saturday's game with the Brewers.

Cingrani threw two innings in his first rehab appearance at Triple-A Louisville on Saturday. He didn't allow a hit or run, walked a batter and struck out three. He threw 35 pitches. He is scheduled to pitch again for the Bats on Tuesday in Indianapolis.

"Tony's was a nice outing too, accomplished what we wanted to, he got a couple of innings in, was able to throw his breaking ball, threw about 35 pitches, scoreless and came out of it feeling fine," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

When asked if Cingrani could return before the break, Price said instead, the team would like to stretch him out as long as possible, to keep starting as an option.

"If we need him before he's stretched out, he's a relief pitcher," Price noted. "But if we can get him stretched out to where he's a viable candidate to start, that was something we could consider in the second half, if needed."

The Reds have already used nine different starting pitchers this season, two of whom are out for the season (Homer Bailey and Jon Moscot), and another (Jason Marquis) who is no longer with the team. The current rotation features three rookies, with another (Raisel Iglesias) looking to return.

Then, of course, there's the possibility of the two non-rookies in the rotation — Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake — being traded at some point. Both are free agents at the end of the season.

"Our concern moving forward is our fact that we've tapped into our system a lot more than we anticipated," Price said. "If you look up and down the list of pitcher's we've used so far and you look at how many that weren't even on our 40-man roster in spring training that are now pitching for our club or have pitched for our club."

And then there's the concern over the number of innings both Michael Lorenzen and Iglesias have thrown and will throw as the end of the season approaches.

"Depending on how things go after the All-Star break, we do have some young pitchers that we're have to look at hard in the second half of what we can really ask them to do — especially in the month of September," Price said. "Tony certainly becomes a candidate should we need a starting pitcher, if we get him stretched out enough."

Iglesias is scheduled to make his second of three rehab starts on Sunday. That would make him available to rejoin the team after the All-Star break.

CUETO TO START SUNDAY: As it stands, Reds starter Johnny Cueto will start Tuesday in Washington and Sunday in Miami, the last game before the All-Star Game.

At one time, Sunday starters were ineligible to be picked for the All-Star Game, but in 2012 that rule was changed. Now starters who pitched on the Sunday before the All-Star Game can pitch one inning or a predetermined number of pitches, if they choose, or still be selected and participate in all activities other than the game. In that case, another player will be selected.

That happened last season with Cueto, who made his first All-Star appearance, but did not appear in the game.

"We haven't gotten to that point yet. That will be something that we'll be able to look at," Price said. "As you know, certainly the priority will be that our team gets the best chance to win the game. I think a few things have to happen. He'll have to make the team and No. 2, we'd really have to look and see if we can create an opportunity in which he can pitch."

The Nationals will face a similar situation, with Max Scherzer scheduled to pitch on Tuesday along with Cueto, and then Sunday before the All-Star Game. Scherzer would be a heavy favorite to start the game for the National League.

So even if neither Cueto nor Scherzer gets to pitch in the All-Star Game in Cincinnati, they'll have their own All-Star-caliber matchup at Nationals Park.

"It's not monitoring the Hank Aaron home run chase, but it is really one of those games you want to see if you're a baseball fan and you really like pitching," Price said. "As far as matchups go, it's going to be one of the better matchups of the year, I would think."

STEPHENSON GOOD: Reds top prospect Robert Stephenson earned a win in his Triple-A debut on Friday. Stephenson pitched five innings, allowed two runs on six hits with three walks and six strikeouts.

"All I got on Stephenson was our internal scouting report, which was very positive — good fastball and breaking ball, was composed and did some really good things," Price said.

Stephenson had to deal with a 56-minute rain delay in the first.

"I thought he was pretty good tonight," Bats manager Delino DeShields told the Louisville Courier-Journal. "Of course, we'd like to see him a little more efficient. But he was confident out there.

"Obviously, it wasn't the most ideal conditions. I think I'll be better the next time around."

MEDINA HOT: How do you follow a three-homer day? Well, Reds prospect Reydel Medina followed his three-homer night on Friday with a homer and a double on Saturday.

Medina, a 22-year-old Cuban outfielder and first baseman, was 4 for 6 with five RBI at Rookie Billings in Friday night's 12-9, 14-inning loss to Helena. In a day game on Saturday, he homered in his second-at bat.

Medina now has five home runs in 12 games at Billings.

The Reds signed Medina for $400,000 in August of 2013.