Volquez anxious for start tonight

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By Hal McCoy, Staff Writer Updated 8:26 PM Sunday, May 31, 2009

Edinson Volquez is tired of doing his imitation of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. No more backstrokes or butterfly strokes or breast strokes.

It is back to the pitching mound tonight, June 1, in St. Louis when the Cincinnati Reds open a four-game series in Busch Stadium.

During his 15 days on the disabled list for back spasms, Volquez spent so much time exercising in the clubhouse swimming pool he feared his pitching hand might wrinkle.

“I did my normal bullpen work Saturday, about 45 minutes, and now I’m ready and I can’t wait,” said Volquez. “No more swimming. Man, this is the first time I’ve been on the disabled list and you have to work like a dog. I didn’t know it was like that.”

Manager Dusty Baker knows what it’s like and said, “I’m sure Volquez is happy to be coming off the DL. It’s training, training and more training. That’s what you want. You want them working harder when they’re on the DL than when they’re not. When you’re on the DL, you gotta work.

“I’m sure Edwin Encarnacion is in better shape right now than when he went on the DL,” Baker added.

Volquez (4-2, 4.25) faces Todd Wellemeyer (5-4, 5.02) and said, “We’ve lost too many games lately. It is time to start winning again.”

Masset impresses

Two major-league scouts sat in the third row of the Miller Park pressbox and were taken aback by what they saw from Reds relief pitcher Nick Masset — 1 1/3 perfect innings, two strikeouts.

“Where’d they get this guy?” asked one. Told he was part of the Ken Griffey Jr. trade last July, the scout raised his eyebrows and said, “He just threw an 88-miles-an-hour slider.” A scout sitting next to the other scout said, “And he threw an 86-miles-an-hour curveball.”

Over his last six appearances (six innings) Masset has given up no runs and two hits.

E.E. not close

Encarnacion swung a bat at soft tosses for the third straight day Sunday and plans to take live batting practice for the first time in St. Louis.

Encarnacion has missed 31 games with a cracked bone in his left wrist and even though he is close to being baseball-ready, don’t look for him in the lineup soon. He’ll certainly go on a minor-league rehab assignment first.

Somebody asked Baker if Encarnacion could come back and play first base during Joey Votto’s absence, which will be for at least 14 more days after he went on the DL with a stress-related issue.

“I hope Joey is back by then,” said Baker. “It is going to be at least a couple more weeks for Edwin. He has to find his swing. Hey, he was hitting .127 when he left. He needs some at-bats. I already told him I’d rather have him over-ready than under-ready when he comes back because we can afford it and he can’t afford to struggle when he gets back.”

Taveras out again

Willy Taveras missed his second straight start with a sore right hamstring and Chris Dickerson was in center field and batting leadoff. On Saturday, Dickerson had three hits and made a stupendous catch.

“That’s all right, Dickerson is playing great,” said Baker. “That’s why you want depth and good players.”

Fisher flourishing

Rookie Carlos Fisher is the likely choice to return to Louisville to make room for Volquez, and if that’s the case, it is a shame. He doesn’t deserve demotion.

In three appearances he has given up no runs, two hits, three walks and struck out three in four innings. The Reds could option out struggling Jared Burton, who has given up six runs and nine hits over his last four appearances (four innings).

“Definitely a good time,” said Fisher, 26, an 11th-round draft pick in 2005. “You can’t imagine how good this is. I knew it was good but it is better than I could ever have expected. The crowds are bigger and much noisier, but I don’t notice once I get on the mound. I try to do it the same way I did at Louisville — focus on the batter and the catcher and nothing more.”

Quote of the day

“Losing Joey Votto definitely has an effect. You try not to think about it, but for sure, this is a top hitter in the league and has an effect, big time. A big effect. It changes my whole lineup around.” — Baker on the loss of Votto, who missed the three-game sweep by Milwaukee.

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