LaRue playing through pain
Reds notebook
By John Fay
Enquirer staff writer
HOUSTON - You can question Jason LaRue's bat. You can question his ability as a receiver. But you can't question LaRue's guts - or his pain threshold.
LaRue suffered a hairline fracture of the left wrist on May 24 when he was hit by 95 mph fastball from Washington's Gary Majewski.
LaRue was back in the lineup four days later.
He had started three straight games before getting Wednesday night off.
"It hurts," he said. "It feels like a broken bone. You know it's going to take four to six weeks to heal."
LaRue plays with the wrist taped. He also sewed a protective pad onto his wristband.
LaRue said he was ready to play two days after the break - which is of the bone that protrudes just above the hand.
"I just had to wait for the swelling to go down," he said. "That took a couple of days."
LaRue has continued his hot streak at the plate since the injury. Entering Wednesday, he was 5-for-his-last-11 with a home run and five RBI since returning.
Overall, he has hit in 10 straight games. He was 15-for-39 (.385) with three home runs and 12 RBI during the streak, raising his average from .169 to .238.
The streak followed a career-high 0-for-24 stretch.