Norris

Hopper

Hopper went 1-for-3 during his three days in the majors.

Hopper, 27, was hitting .354 in Triple-A, but that came with 13 extra-base hits and 18 walks in 339 at-bats. Maybe he’s a better choice than Brandon Watson, but he’s not nearly the player Chris Denorfia is and it’s doubtful that he’ll have a career as a reserve outfielder.

Hopper couldn’t be recalled yesterday because his 10 days still weren’t up yet. The 27-year-old isn’t someone who should be in the Reds’ long-term plans at all, but he might be of some use off the bench this month.

Chris Denorfia isn’t even locked into the lineup against left-handers with Ken Griffey Jr. out, as Hopper got the call in right field tonight. Hopper is now 3-for-8 in two stints with the Reds this season.

Freel wasn’t able to avoid the disabled list after all. He was due to be released from the hospital today, but the Reds apparently thought he’d miss at least 7-10 days. He’ll be examined by a neck specialist on Wednesday. Norris Hopper and Dewayne Wise will fill in until Josh Hamilton returns.

Hopper is 8-for-30 with no walks and one extra-base hit, giving him a .267/.267/.300 line. His minor league numbers suggest that he’s a 25th man at best. Yet here he is batting in front of Ken Griffey Jr. once again. If the Reds are hoping he’s the new Ryan Freel, they’re likely to be sorely disappointed.

He wanted a night off, apparently. Buck Coats replaced him in center field. Tell us one more time why Jay Bruce isn’t in the majors.

Perhaps he was late getting to the ballpark. The Reds might be better off if Hopper did something bad enough to get his playing time reduced sharply. At least manager Jerry Narron was planning on batting him ninth instead of his usual first. Javier Valentin entered the lineup in his place, getting the nod at DH.

Hopper isn’t even a good 25th man, but he now has 101 at-bats for the Reds since the beginning of May, as manager Jerry Narron refuses to give Jeff Conine any outfield time and upper management seems unwilling to call up anyone else. Hopper is batting .262/.301/.336 overall. He has a ridiculous one RBI in 107 at-bats on the year.

No word yet on how long he’s expected to miss, but Freel is scheduled for surgery Wednesday and it’s likely to be longer than the required 15 days. Norris Hopper has stepped into the lineup for Freel, but Josh Hamilton will likely take over as his replacement soon if he can avoid a setback during his minor league rehab assignment.