IF/OF Chris Burke has a fractured finger injured in practice yesterday and he will have it in a splint for the next two weeks. He is not allowed to have any baseball activities for the next three weeks. This almost guarantees that Burke will start the 2010 season in the minors with the Reds as he won’t have enough time to move up the depth chart this spring.

The Reds will be without righty starting pitcher Aaron Harang for the rest of the season due to him undergoing a emergency appendectomy last week. Harang pitched in 26 games (all starts) for the Reds this season and he was 6-14 with a 4.21 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. In seven years with the Reds, Harang has pitched in 195 games (193 starts) and he has a 69-73 record with a 4.18 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. The Reds will miss Harang as he is a dependable starting pitcher.

The Reds have lost 26-year old righty starting pitcher Edison Volquez for the remainder of this season and most of the 2010 season as he had Tommy John Surgery earlier this week. Volquez started 9 games for the Reds this season and he was 4-2 with a 4.35 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. In two years with the Reds, Volquez has pitched in 42 games (41 starts) and he is 21-8 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. This is a huge blow to the Reds’ pitching staff both for the rest of the season and most of next year.

The Reds will be without veteran catcher Ramon Hernandez for the next 4-6 weeks due to knee surgery. Hernandez has played in 77 games this season for the Reds and he is 68 for 273 (.249 avg, .685 OPS) with 23 runs scored, 5 homers and 36 RBIs. Hernandez does work well with Reds’ pitchers and that’s where he will be missed the most. Ryan Hanigan will fill in for him again. He has played in 56 games this season for the Reds and he is 53 for 164 (.323 avg, .798 OPS) with 18 runs scored, 1 homer and 8 RBIs. He does have a great eye at the plate as he has walked 25 times this season while only whiffing 18. Hanigan should do a decent job while Hernandez is on the mend.

The Reds have lost starting 2B Brandon Phillips for the remainder of the season with a broken right index finger. Phillips played in 141 games for the Reds this season and he was 146 for 559 (.261 avg, .754 OPS) with 80 runs scored, 21 homers, 78 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. The Reds can’t replace Phillips who is the best player on the team so expect more losses for the Reds in the last few weeks of the season.