The Pirates, the Reds, and what might've been

My brother and his girlfriend are headed down tonight in our regular seats. This might normally bother me (EDIT: no, it wouldn't, I just needed a way to start this post), but not tonight. Why not tonight? Nothing to do with the weather, but rather the fact that if I was at the ballpark tonight I would be able to do nothing but imagine a universe in which we never released Bronson Arroyo and in which Dave Littlefield was able to dupe Dan O'Brien into an Oliver Perez-for-Adam Dunn deal.

In the real world on this one, Perez says he feels good after being skipped in the rotation and getting some extra side sessions on the pen. I'd like to believe him, but I won't be able to until he proves he's healthy. Jack Wilson was rumored to be making a return tonight, but according to the lineup, that won't happen. I'm curious as to Ryan Doumit's status, as he and Wilson were injured on the same night and it certainly appeared that Doumit had the lesser of the two injuries (Wilson could barely even leg out a single on what should've been a double in his first pinch hitting appearence the next day, whereas Doumit easily legged his way into second after ripping a double in his first pinch hitting appearence), but there's no word on when he's returning. Or maybe he's returned already and there's just no way of telling because he's still buried on the bench.

UPDATE (6:34 PM)- I suppose that it is worth noting that Ronny Paulino is catching Perez tonight.