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Latos set for another rehab start on Monday

CINCINNATI -- Right-hander Mat Latos, who has been on the disabled list all season following right elbow and left knee surgeries, as well as a right forearm strain, will make another rehab start on Monday according to manager Bryan Price.

Latos made his third rehab start with Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday, in which he went five innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits while walking one and striking out three, but had to leave the game in the sixth due to a calf cramp. He threw 67 pitches.

"Barring any issues with the rest of the guys in our rotation, we'd like to get him all the way stretched out," Price said Friday. "And I know he feels that he's ready to help us and I appreciate that. I just think we are going to ask him when he's activated to be able to do what the rest of the guys are doing and pitching into the later innings. And I'd like to get him stretched out to that 90 to 100 pitches if possible before we activate him."

Price said it hadn't yet been decided where Latos would make the rehab start. Louisville is at Pawtucket Monday, and Double-A Dayton is at Lake County in Northeast Ohio.

Latos said on Friday that he feels 100 percent, and could pitch immediately at the Major League level if necessary.

"It's pretty bogus I've got to go on another rehab assignment, but it is what it is," he said. "I don't make the decisions around here. I'm a puppet on a string, pretty much. I just get told to do what I need to do and I do whatever they tell me to do."

Latos said he did not try to talk Price out of the decision on extending his rehab period.

"There's no point," Latos said. "They have their mind made up of what they want to do, and what's going on or what went on or what didn't go on, I guess. But, whatever. I'll go down there and throw 100 fastballs and call it a day and come back up here and we'll assess what's going on."

Latos also said that his stuff on Wednesday was good, indicating he is ready to return to the Reds.

"[Wednesday] I mixed in a lot of two-seamers, the velocity was 90-94. I think when I start throwing 86-90 mph sliders, I think that says a lot about how I feel. The changeup was a little harder than what it normally is, and it was a lot better. The curveball was fine. I'm perfectly fine; the calf is not the issue."

Manny Randhawa is an associate reporter for MLB.com.
Read More: Cincinnati Reds, Mat Latos