Price pleased with Latos' rehab reports

PHOENIX -- The reports from Reds pitcher Mat Latos' second rehab assignment start for Triple-A Louisville on Saturday were positive. Against Columbus, Latos pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He threw 81 pitches including 46 for strikes.

"It was really good to get him into the fifth inning and get his pitch count up," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "It would be reasonable to think he could be somewhere between 90-100 pitches his next time out if he's efficient enough to stay in the game that long, which he is capable of doing that. At that point in time, we would like to have him feel about as close to 100 percent as you can get before we activate him."

Latos has been on the disabled list all season after he had right elbow surgery in October to remove bone chips and February surgery to repair torn meniscus cartilage in his left knee. In April, he suffered a setback when he strained the flexor mass tendon in his right forearm.

The third rehab start for Latos has been slated for Wednesday at Lehigh Valley. After that, the team will re-evaluate whether or not he's ready.

"I know pitching in Triple-A games and doing all the rehab he's done over the offseason and Spring Training and up to now, it's more challenging to be motivated to pitch with the same energy as he would in a big league game," Price said. "I would like to see something as close to that as possible."