Ludwick to share playing time in left

PHOENIX -- Ryan Ludwick started in left field for the Reds on Sunday vs. the D-backs, but the position no longer belonged to him.

As the team, and Ludwick, have lacked production, manager Bryan Price recently told him he would be mixing and matching at the position.

"He was very professional about it," Price said. "It's a very difficult situation to talk to an established player about sharing playing time. He was a total pro about it and I really appreciated it. He could have made it a lot more difficult and he didn't."

Ludwick will be sharing time with Skip Schumaker and Chris Heisey. Schumaker made the last two starts in left field and was 2-for-5 with two runs scored in Saturday's 5-0 win. He started Sunday in center field in place of Billy Hamilton, who was a late scratch with a sore right elbow.

In 43 games, entering Sunday, Ludwick was batting .246 with three home runs and 17 RBIs. He had a pinch-hit double in the ninth inning Saturday.

"I'm also optimistic that he'll get himself into the full swing and have more impact throughout the course of the year," Price said. "But I just felt we needed to give some other guys some opportunity to go out there and perform."