Reds to bench Larkin for rest of season
Daily News Wire Services
Barry Larkin's name won't be found in Cincinnati's starting lineup for the rest of the season and the Reds' captain is disappointed and hurt by the news.
And, the 40-year-old Larkin said he believes it is the team's way of showing him the clubhouse door.
Larkin was summoned to general manager Dan O'Brien's suite at the team hotel in Houston yesterday morning and was told his starting services were no longer required.
Larkin revealed the news before last night's 9-7 loss to the Astros. He said he had expected to play the rest of the season.
Larkin is hitting .300 for his 327 at-bats this season over 98 games and has made only four errors.
Instead of Larkin facing Houston's Roy Oswalt last night, it was 23-year-old Anderson Machado making his major-league starting and hitting debut. Machado, who the Reds got from the Phillies on July 31 as part of the deal for reliever Todd Jones, was 0-4 and stuck out three times.
"They said they want to see Machado and Felipe Lopez splitting time at shortstop, but I think it's just their way of not letting me get out there to show what I can do this last month of the season," Larkin said. "That'll make it easier for them this offseason."
Asked if this meant anything as far as Larkin's future with the Reds, O'Brien said, "No, not really. This is more about the fact that we need to see if either Felipe or Machado can be a starting major-league shortstop or a combination."
