Scott Rolen is healthy.
"Unbelievably, yes," he said. "I am."
Rolen, who is coming off his fourth surgery on his left shoulder, went 1-for-4 Tuesday night in the Reds' 2-1 loss in 10 innings to the St. Louis Cardinals. The hit raised his average to .135.
The shoulder isn't the issue.
"He looks healthy," Baker said. "He was healthy when we left spring training. He hasn't done anything not to be healthy. He's just getting off to a slow start. It's all over baseball -- slow starts. When he left spring training, he was swinging good."
Sunday was one rough game for Rolen. Washington walked Joey Votto to get to Rolen with the bases loaded twice. Rolen struck out each time.
"The frustrating thing about that was you get into a spot that calls for putting on a good, quality at-bat," he said, "and you turn in two fairly uncompetitive at-bats. That's the frustrating part.
"I don't necessarily believe in the big at-bat or whatever. But as the game goes through and you get to (the) plate in the seventh, eighth, ninth inning, you've got to be sure if you have a best at-bat you want it to be that one. Obviously, that wasn't what I wanted."
Cairo added to disabled list
--INF Miguel Cairo was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. He injured it sliding into home Saturday.
--INF/OF Todd Frazier was called up from Class AAA Louisville to take INF Miguel Cairo's spot on the roster. Frazier, who can play third, first, left or right, was hitting .231 at Louisville. He had hit in five straight games before the call up. Frazier was the last player cut before Opening Day. He hit .291 during spring training and led the Reds with five home runs and 15 RBI.
--RHP Jordan Smith (elbow) was re-instated from the 15-day disabled list and optioned to Class AAA Louisville. Smith was injured early in spring. He had been rehabbing at the Reds facility in Goodyear, Ariz.
--RHP Nick Masset tried to resume throwing last week but had to shut down after feeling tenderness in his shoulder. Masset, who's been on the disabled list all year, will get back on strengthening program.
--RF Jay Bruce went 0-for-4 Tuesday night to extend his hitless streak to a career-high 0-for-18. Bruce's average is down to .186.
BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- Runs the Reds have scored in five of their last eight games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "You can't walk guys in their own park. We got out of a number of jams. We didn't execute some plays earlier. How many times can your heart get ripped out in a short period of time?" -- Manager Dusty Baker, after two walks led to the Reds' third extra-inning loss in five games.
Roster Report
MEDICAL WATCH:
--INF Miguel Cairo (strained left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 15.
--RHP Jordan Smith (right elbow soreness) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26. He was activated April 17 and optioned to Class AAA Louisville.
--RHP Nick Masset (right shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26. He tried to resume throwing in mid-April but had to shut it down after feeling tenderness in his shoulder.
--RHP Ryan Madson (Tommy John surgery in April 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list April 4. He is out for the season.
