Hanigan tries to play through pain, but lands on DL

ATLANTA -- Sometimes rest is the only answer to an injury, as unpleasant as that may be.

Such is the case with Ryan Hanigan.

The Reds catcher was put on the disabled list prior to Thursday night's series opener with the Atlanta Braves with a strained left wrist. The injury first flared up Tuesday in Milwaukee and proved too painful to play through.

"We tried to gut it out and he tried to gut it out and we tried to wait as long as possible," said manager Dusty Baker. "It got to a point where it wasn't going to get well if he kept swinging and kept diddling with it. So we thought we'd use the DL. With the four days off and then the All-Star break, he'll probably miss no more than 10 games instead of 15."

Hanigan has had a frustrating season, hitting .193 with two homers and 14 RBIs. He had been struggling lately, hitting .154 over his last 10 games, and that included a 2-for-2 game on July 1. It's been a tough season for the seven-year pro, who already was on the DL with a left oblique injury.

Veteran Corky Miller was called up from Triple-A Louisville. The 37-year-old Miller hit .125 in six games at the end of April and early May, and was hitting .203 with four homers and 19 RBIs for the Bats.

Baker expects the veteran to contribute more with his leadership and experience than with his bat.

"A guy like Corky Miller knows our staff," the manager said. "He was Devin [Mesoraco's] mentor, so he'll even make him better by being here. Hopefully he can contribute some while he's here playing."