CINCINNATI -- Homer Bailey will make a rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Saturday, Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said on Friday night.
Bailey was placed on the 10-day disabled list on June 1 with right knee inflammation shortly after being moved out of the rotation and into the bullpen. The right-hander made one rehab start for Louisville on June 11, during which he allowed five runs on six hits in three innings. Bailey halted his rehab process and missed his next scheduled rehab start after pain lingered in his right knee.
Riggleman said Bailey will ideally throw somewhere between 75 to 90 pitches in the outing. Bailey's last start for the Reds came on May 28. The 32-year-old is 1-7 with a 6.68 ERA in 12 starts this season.
6th inning proving to be crucial of late
In back-to-back games, the Reds have trailed 2-0 through five innings before putting together productive, multirun sixth innings against the opposing starter en route to a win in each. Cincinnati plated three in the sixth in Wednesday's win against Detroit thanks to back-to-back home runs off starter Michael Fulmer. Then the Reds struck for six runs in Thursday's win over the Cubs, four of which were charged to Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks after Jesse Winker blasted his first career grand slam. Riggleman thinks it is indicative of a larger trend among pitchers entering the sixth inning.

"It stands out to me because as we get more analytical information the more they point out how much higher the batting average is the third time through the order," Riggleman said. "As it does occur in the sixth and sometimes in the fifth, pitchers are running into a lot of trouble. I think it has a lot to do with why we are getting pitchers out of there before they go seven innings."
Riggleman pointed to an example of it working against the Reds in a 9-7 extra-innings win over Atlanta on April 24. Tyler Mahle had a no-hitter working through six innings, before Atlanta tagged him for three runs in the seventh without recording an out the third time through the Braves' batting order. Riggleman said a pitcher's effectiveness the third time through the order will affect when he goes to the bullpen.
"We react to what we see and how our guy is throwing," Riggleman said. "Obviously if he is throwing well through five, we leave him out there and don't have anyone warming up. If we repetitively see somebody start getting hit around in the sixth inning, we might be a little quicker to call and say, 'Hey, as soon as someone gets on base, get so-and-so hot in the bullpen. Don't just have him throw him easy. Get him ready.' Because we see a little history of it."
The Reds have scored 51 runs in the sixth inning this season, the sixth-best mark in the Major Leagues, and their .290 team batting average in the inning ranks third.