CHICAGO, June 25 (UPI) -- Cincinnati Reds centerfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who has missed more games than he has played this season, is back on the disabled list for the third time in two years.
The Reds Tuesday placed Griffey on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday, with a strained right hamstring. They recalled rookie outfielder Austin Kearns from Triple-A Louisville of the International League.
Griffey is batting just .243 with two home runs and four RBI in 26 games, including 20 starts. His first stint on the DL this season was from April 8-May 23 with a torn patella tendon in his right knee. He also missed eight games from June 8-16 with his current injury.
The 32-year-old Cincinnati native was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in February 2000, and is signed to a contract through the 2008 season.
After hitting 40 home runs and driving in 118 runs in his first season with the Reds, Griffey was limited to 111 games and had 22 homers and 65 RBI last year.
Griffey was named to Major League Baseball's All-Century Team, and voted Player of the Decade for the 1990s. He has 462 career homers and 1,339 RBI.
He also won 10 straight Gold Gloves with Seattle from 1990-99.
Kearns was optioned to Louisville on Sunday and went 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs in Monday's 8-7, 10-inning win over Norfolk. He was the National League Rookie of the Month for May after he batted .261 with five homers and 17 RBI in 24 games.
The 22-year-old Kearns began the year with Double-A Chattanooga and batted .268 with five homers and 13 RBI in 12 games before being promoted to Louisville. Kearns, the seventh overall pick in the 1998 draft, is hitting .284 with eight homers and 28 RBI in 51 games with Cincinnati.
The Reds have lost eight straight games and are two games in back of the first-place St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Central. Cincinnati continues a four-game series with the
Chicago Cubs on Tuesday afternoon.
