MILWAUKEE — For the second time in the past three games, Milwaukee manager Ned Yost had a chance to play some games with his lineup because of a nagging hamstring problem for center fielder Tony Gwynn.

But Yost resisted the temptation to move Corey Hart from right to center or play right-handed hitting Gabe Kapler and opted to use left-handed hitting Gabe Gross in the second spot of the lineup to face Cincinnati rookie right-hander Johnny Cueto Tuesday night at Miller Park.

Hardly anyone would have batted an eye if Yost had called on Kapler to start in center. He had home runs in victories Saturday and Sunday over the San Francisco Giants and went 6-for-10 in the first home series of the season.

Yost admitted he gave some thought to sticking with Kapler, an early bright spot in the center field rotation that is replacing Mike Cameron, who is serving a 25-game suspension for testing positive for banned stimulants last fall.

"But I imagine at some time he'll get his chance," Yost said of Kapler, whose home run Saturday came in a pinch-hitting appearance. "I'm trying to keep guys from bouncing around, trying to keep them in spots that they're familiar with."

The Brewers face right-handers Josh Fogg tonight and Aaron Harang Thursday afternoon in the rest of the three-game series — and one of those games could signal Gwynn's return.

Gwynn participated in an early hitting session and in the Brewers' regular pregame workout, his first extensive work since being injured last Thursday. Part of that work included tracking fly balls in batting practice.

Yost has said he might find a spot to use Gwynn such as a late-inning sacrifice bunt situation. Though Gwynn's injury has left the team a player short on the bench, the manager said he doesn't expect Gwynn to hit the disabled list.

"I think in a couple of days he'll be ready to go," Yost said.

Cueto part of trio

When Cueto allowed no runs, one hit and struck out 10 over seven innings in his major-league debut last week, he joined two other pitchers to accomplish that feat.

One of those names is very familiar, Hall of Fame right-hander Juan Marichal, who did it for the San Francisco Giants on July 19, 1960, against the Philadelphia Phillies. Marichal went nine innings and struck out 12 in the Giants' 2-0 win.

The other name may come as a surprise to Brewers fans who recall the first game of a twi-night doubleheader against Toronto on July 28, 1997 at County Stadium.

The Brewers' pitcher that afternoon had been recalled from Class AA El Paso. His name was Steve Woodard. He went eight innings and struck out 12 in the Brewers' 1-0 victory over a Blue Jays right-hander named Roger Clemens.

Woodard went on to mixed success with the Brewers before he was traded to Cleveland during the season of 2000 in a multi-player deal that brought first baseman Richie Sexson to Milwaukee.

Comforts of home

Yost was sitting in the dugout doing his pregame session with reporters when Miller Park seemed to shake under the weight of a late-afternoon thunderstorm passing through the area.

"The greatest thing (about playing baseball in a domed stadium) is you are able to completely discount the weather," he said.

Oh, and there was one more thing.

"I'm not freezing my tail off like I did (last week) in Chicago," Yost said.

The game never would've been played in a stadium without a roof. It began raining hard at 4:30 p.m., and had yet to stop by game time.

The outside temperature was 38 while inside Miller Park it was a cool, but dry, 61.