Owings' versatility keeps him valuable

ST. LOUIS -- The only baseballs Micah Owings is picking up these days are the ones around the cage after he takes batting practice with Reds hitters.

Since he came to the Reds from the Diamondbacks to complete the Adam Dunn trade on Sept. 12, the right-handed pitcher has been used exclusively as a pinch-hitter. In four at-bats, he has two game-winning hits, including one in his debut for Cincinnati. It came against Arizona.

"It's crazy, isn't it? I've enjoyed it," said Owings, who is batting .294 (5-for-17) with one homer and five RBIs this season as a hitter.

Owings, who turns 26 on Sunday, hasn't pitched because he's been shut down since August so he can completely recover from soreness behind his right shoulder.

After contemplating trying to pick up some innings in winter ball this year, Owings decided against it. He plans to modify his workout to focus on strengthening his arm and will begin his offseason throwing in either late November or early December.

"I thought about it initially. I went back and looked, and I logged about 115 innings, anyway," he said. "I think the most important thing is to stay on top of my stretching and strengthening than it is to get right back and throwing again. My focus is to get back in the spring 100 percent after being injured through parts of the last two seasons. Next year, I want to pace myself and be strong the whole year."

This season, Owings was 6-9 with a 5.93 ERA in 22 games, including 18 starts, for Arizona. He struggled after a hot start, partially because of the injury. Next spring, he will likely be vying for the fifth spot in the Reds' rotation.

In the meantime, Owings will just have a bat at the ready.

"Whether I have the ball in my hands or a bat, I'm going to do the best I can to help the team," said Owings, a lifetime .319 hitter with five homers.

Pitching matchup
CIN: RHP Aaron Harang (6-16, 4.72 ERA)
Harang has a 2.39 ERA over his last seven starts, including a complete-game shutout over St. Louis on Sept. 17, when he allowed only six hits. He was a 7-5 winner on Monday vs. the Marlins, but needed some help after falling behind by a 4-0 score after three innings. He allowed four earned runs and eight hits, including two solo home runs, over seven innings, with two walks and six strikeouts. He would like very much to end a down season on a high note during his final 2008 start.

STL: RHP Todd Wellemeyer (12-9, 3.69 ERA)
Wellemeyer is coming off a solid outing against Arizona in which he allowed three runs on nine hits over six innings. The right-hander has put himself in position to be in the club's pitching staff mix for next season by delivering 185 1/3 innings over 31 starts and limiting opposing hitters to a .244 batting average.

Short hops
A Major League Baseball panel overturned an official scorer's ruling and credited Joey Votto with an RBI triple. On Tuesday at Houston, Votto hit a drive to left field that Ty Wigginton misplayed, but never touched. It was originally ruled a three-base error. "It was a fair change," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. The decision gave Votto his 80th RBI this season. ... The Reds will have the Carolina Mudcats as their new Double-A affiliate after they signed a two-year player development contract. On Apr. 3, 2009, the big league club will play an exhibition game at the Mudcats' ballpark.

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Up next
• Sunday: Reds (Adam Pettyjohn, 0-0, 4.50) at Cardinals (Kyle Lohse, 15-6, 3.78), 2:15 p.m. ET