On Dumatrait

I felt a little bad interrogating Pete Mackanin on what went into the decision to start Phil Dumatrait tomorrow.

But the timing of announcement and Elizardo Ramirez's callup before Dumatrait's seemed curious to me. So why Dumatrait and not Ramirez?

“I don’t know,” Mackanin said. “That was the name to given to me.”

The Reds still are listing TBA for Saturday’s starter in the Pittsburgh. The hope is Aaron Harang will be ready.

Is Ramirez the guy if Aaron Harang can’t start Saturday?

“Not necessarily,” Mackanin said.

Ramirez said Tuesday that his shoulder, which kept him out most of the season, is still bothering him.


Is that a factor?

“It could be,” Mackanin said.

There you have it.