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By Sean McClelland, Staff Writer Updated 2:15 AM Monday, July 26, 2010

DAYTON — Cincinnati Reds right-hander Homer Bailey admits he has no idea what to expect tonight, July 26, when he pitches in a Dayton Dragons uniform for the first time in five years.

“When I was talking with (Reds teammate and former Dragons pitcher) Travis Wood before I came down here, I was saying I’m either going to throw really well or I’m going to give up a lot of hits, because there’s no in-between,” Bailey said.

“We have an approach to how we want to attack (big-league) hitters. Well, these (Midwest League) hitters don’t have that good of an approach. For the most part, when they get older, they’re harder to pitch to and, in a sense, they’re easier to pitch to. So, it could be fireworks, or it could be a bunch of short innings.”

Bailey, on the disabled list since May 24 with an inflamed right shoulder, wants to do well in his rehab start against the Quad Cities River Bandits. More important, however, is how he feels during and after the stint.

“There could be one pitch where all of a sudden something goes snap,” Bailey said. “I don’t want that to happen. It’s not just starting the game. It’s the next day. I’ve already thrown one rehab start at Louisville and the next day there was all kinds of stuff wrong. You don’t want to make any steps backward.

“The biggest thing is, I finally get to compete. If I can get through 70-75 pitches without feeling any pain or discomfort, then we know it’s definitely a step forward.”

Bailey, who was not at Fifth Third Field on Sunday, is one of four players from the 2005 Dragons still getting paid to play baseball. The others are Reds infielder Paul Janish, Baltimore Orioles catcher Craig Tatum and pitcher Philippe Valiquette, who is at Louisville still trying to make it.

EX-DRAGON UPDATE: It pleased Dayton manager Todd Benzinger to learn former Dragons outfielder Byron Wiley has caught on with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization after being released by the Reds.

“That’s good to hear, because he’s young enough and talented enough to make his mark,” Benzinger said. “I really believe that. He could really, really hit.”

Wiley, who hit 14 home runs for the Dragons in 2009 and led the team in on-base percentage and slugging, started this season here and was quickly called up to Lynchburg. But he wasn’t playing every day and ended up clashing with at least one coach.

The Diamondbacks signed Wiley on June 1 and he played well for two weeks (.286, homer, seven RBIs) with the Visalia Rawhide of the Class A California League before going on the disabled list.

REDS IN THE HOUSE: Reds GM Walt Jocketty, who drove up to watch Saturday’s game, won’t be here to see Bailey pitch, but Jerry Walker, special assistant for player personnel, will be. Walker, a former major-league pitcher who worked with Jocketty for years in St. Louis, changed his schedule to baby-sit Bailey.

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