Billy Hamilton optimistic after resuming baseball activity

Billy Hamilton was concerned enough about his injured right shoulder to think his season might be over. But after Hamilton resumed throwing and hitting over the last couple of days, he's optimistic.

"It feels really good," Hamilton said. "It was something I thought I wasn't going to be able to heal this quickly. I'm working hard trying to get back to finish the season off."

Hamilton was hopeful that he'd be ready for a rehab assignment.

"That's the plan," Hamilton said. "(Friday) is one of the days I'm actually hitting BP on the field, doing all the stuff out there. Hopefully, over this weekend, if I feel good, before the season is over, I can get a couple of games in, instead of coming right back into it. Everything has been going really well."

Friday's session went well enough that the Reds announced Hamilton will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Pensacola on Saturday.

Hamilton did not make the trip with the club to Milwaukee and Chicago.

"It's been killing me," he said. "I was so happy to see these guys when they came back. It's not fun being away from these guys who you go to war with everyday. It's hard to be away that many days and just watch. You want to be there with them."

"When they were playing here, it was fine. But when they left it was hard, not being around the guys, not being around the game."

OBP MASTER: Joey Votto went into Friday with a .576 on-base percentage since the All-Star break. Only two players in history — Barry Bonds and Ted Williams — have up better OBP numbers in the second half of seasons.

Bonds was better six times, Williams twice.

But Votto hasn't just been getting on base. He hit a pair of home runs on the road trip in the ninth inning against closers to lift the Reds to wins.

"It's a combination of everything," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "His on-base percentage continues to climb over .400 and well into the .430s and .440s. He's getting to his power, driving a lot of balls to left center. He's hitting the balls on screws, not missing a lot of pitches.

"He's our best hitter. ... It's fun to watch. Every time he's up, there's an expectation that something good is going to happen.

PARRA ACTIVATED: The Reds activated Manny Parra from the disabled list before Friday's game. Parra had been on the DL since Sept. 3. The Reds had been operating without a left-handed specialist with Parra on the DL.

In another transaction, right-hander Dylan Axelrod cleared waivers and outrighted to Triple-A Louisville.

HOOVER OK: J.J. Hoover did not have a great series in Chicago. He could not finish the eighth in one game and gave up a two-run, game-tying home run in another.

"All he's done is showed he's human," Price said.

Hoover is 6-0 with a 2.02 ERA over the year.

"It's ebb and flow," Price said. "We're always striving for perfection and you never reach it. He's having such an unbelievable year that when he gives up a run or homer or has a tough week it stands out."