CINCINNATI -- Jose Hernandez is learning that in baseball, it sometimes doesn't pay to unpack your bags.
Hernandez joined his third team of the season Wednesday night when he started at third base and batted in the seventh spot for the Pirates.
Hernandez, a 34-year-old infielder, was acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Aramis Ramirez-Kenny Lofton trade. The deal wasn't finalized until late Wednesday night, but Hernandez hurried from Atlanta, where the Cubs were playing, to join his new team at Great American Ball Park.
"There's only one thing I hate about playing ball," Hernandez said, "and that's moving."
Hernandez signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Colorado Rockies in the off-season only to be traded to the Cubs on June 19.
Hernandez can be a free agent at the end of the season, and he knows another wave of trades could happen within the next week, so he's not going to create a fuss about being a rent-a-player.
"I'm just going to go out and play," he said. "I just got here. I want to keep playing and start hitting the ball, put it in play more, put some numbers down and see what we've got at the end of the year."
With Lofton gone, Brian Giles is the short-term answer in center field and he said he has no problem with switching positions.
While Hernandez had no difficulty getting to Cincinnati, the same couldn't be said of right-handed reliever Brandon Lyon, whose arrival was delayed until today because of travel complications.
Lyon was acquired yesterday from the Boston Red Sox in the Scott Sauerbeck trade. Lyon was the Red Sox closer for part of the season. When he joins the Pirates, he might be used in that role along with Mike Lincoln.
"He'll pitch late, I know that," Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He'll set up or close along with the other guys. He's used to the bullpen-by-committee."
COURT OF APPEALS
Kendall didn't have his appeal of a three-game suspension heard yesterday, but he had it read.
Kendall did not make a scheduled hearing with baseball officials Bob DuPuy and Bob Watson. Instead, he dispatched a letter that outlined his reasons for appealing his suspension from a June 14 fight with Marlon Anderson of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Was Kendall satisfied with his line of defense?
"It was self explanatory," he said.
It is believed that Kendall's suspension will be reduced to two games and he'll begin serving it today.
BULLPEN GETS BOOST
A bullpen that was down to four members last night welcomed a familiar face yesterday when Brian Meadows was recalled from Class AAA Nashville. Meadows was the reigning Pacific Coast League pitcher of the week after taking a perfect game into the eighth and settling for a two-hitter. He was 7-0 with a 1.41 ERA with Nashville and began his third stint with the Pirates.
Meadows returned to find a bullpen that was missing Sauerbeck and Mike Williams.
"It's kind of weird," he said.
SUNDAY STARTER
With Kris Benson not pitching until July 29 because of a right shoulder injury, the Pirates will have another spot to fill in the rotation Sunday. McClendon said he's leaning toward giving the start to Salomon Torres, who allowed two runs in six innings Tuesday night against the Houston Astros.
"I'm pleased with what he did," McClendon said.
