CINCINNATI, June 23 (UPI) -- Austin Kearns, whose offensive contributions while Ken Griffey Jr. was sidelined kept the Cincinnati Reds at the top of the National League Central Division, Sunday was optioned to Louisville of the International League.
The 22-year-old outfielder hit .284 with eight homers and 28 RBI in 51 games for Cincinnati. Kearns made an immediate impact after being called up in mid-April, nearly replacing Griffey's production in the middle of the lineup.
But Griffey returned to the lineup this week and with Juan Encanarcion and Adam Dunn performing well, the Reds were concerned about Kearns' playing time.
To fill Kearns' roster spot, Cincinnati recalled Luis Pineda. The 27-year-old righthander is 0-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 24 games this season, but has held opponents to a .204 batting average.
