Mat Latos Will Pitch In Pawtucket Monday

Mat Latos was hoping his last rehab start in Lehigh Valley with the Louisville Bats would be his last.

A leg cramp cut the outing short of his target pitch count.  He joins the Bats in Rhode Island and teammate Joey Votto as the Reds try to get whole for the first time this season.

"He is in search of that longer outing," Bryan Price said. "We'll have him in the rotation after that."

Latos was open about his disapproval of another Triple A outing but the Reds' management insisted.

"This is a tool for his preparation," Price said. "It benefits everyone if he gets his work done.. I'm aware of some of the comments that he's ready.  I believe it but that being said. I'd like to see him go deep into games when he comes back. I'd like to know that he's capable."

Price desperately wants to avoid adding innings to his bullpen which is without a long relief man since Alfredo Simon, who filled that role, is thriving in the starting rotation.

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"We've asked guys like Manny Parra to pitch longer early in the season but it's not fair to ask him to stretch to 50 or 60 pitches," Price said.

What about the pitcher he replaces serving in the long relief role?

"We could but we're not sure that guy will be here," Price said.

That guy which went unnamed appears to be Tony Cingrani if one reads between the lines.

Latos is pitching on the same days as Cingrani.  Cingrani has minor league options left.

"We have asked pitchers to do things we wouldn't normally asked them to do; like Carlos Fisher did," said Price in reference to Fisher's six inning relief stint in Philadelphia during a 19 inning game in 2012.

"Maybe we can bring Corky Millier up," Price joked.  Miller ate a couple innings in Louisville during blow out games.  "Maybe Skip Schumaker, he has pitching experience."  Schumaker pitched a couple innings of emergency relief for Los Angeles last season.