The Reds won the game against the Marlins Tuesday night, but their loss was much bigger.

Shortstop Jeff Keppinger suffered a fractured left patella when he fouled a pitch off his knee in the second inning of the Reds' 5-3 victory at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday.

"Baseball's about consistency and he's been as consistent a player as this team's had all year," said Reds first baseman Joey Votto, who hit his eighth home run of the season in the seventh inning. "It's not a good thing when you lose your best hitter like that."

Keppinger was starting his 36th game of the season at shortstop, and was leading the Reds with a  .324 average and 21 RBIs. He was 1-for-1 with an RBI on Tuesday, singling in the first inning and walking with the bases loaded after fouling the ball off his knee in the second.

It wasn't until the fourth inning that Keppinger came out of the game, replaced by Jerry Hairston Jr. at shortstop. Hairston moved from right field to short, Corey Patterson took over Keppinger's place in the lineup and went to center field and Ryan Freel moved from center to right.

"I came up as a shortstop," Hairston said. "The only reason I moved to second was we had an experienced shortstop when I came up with the Orioles in Mike Bordick."

Keppinger had an x-ray taken Tuesday night and Reds manager Dusty Baker said the doctors told him it wasn't as bad of a break as it could have been. Keppinger will have an MRI taken on Wednesday. Still, he is expected to be put on the disabled list and miss a sustantial amount of time.

"It's a huge blow," Hairston said. "To first lose Alex Gonzalez, one of the best shortstops in the game and now Kepp, who’s been our hottest hitter.  It's a shame, because he's worked so hard to make a name for himself and he has. He'll be back. We just have to step up and try to fill his shoes a little bit."

Baker said the team hasn't decided who to call up from the minor leagues, but it would be a shock if it were anyone other than Paul Janish.

Janish, 25, is one of the best fielding players in the Reds minor league system and with a 1-for-2 performance in the Bats' victory Tuesday night raised his batting average to .293. He also picked up two RBIs and now has 20 on the season.

Baker said he liked what he saw of Janish in spring training.

"He's a good one, so if he's the one, we’ll have to find a way to match him up with the guys he best suits and Jerry the other ones. It's nice to have guys who can play multiple positions," Baker said. "(Janish) is a slick fielder; he's a big-time slick fielder. He's got some sock in his bat, especially on the high fastball. He's got good speed and it’s a good example of what we've got in the organization."

Keppinger's injury overshadowed Edinson Volquez's effort on the mound. Although not at his best, Volquez still allowed only one run and tied a Major League record by allowing one or no earned runs in his first eight starts of the season. Volquez is the first National League pitcher to ever accomplish the feat. Mike Norris of the A's started the season with eight starts with one or zero earned runs in 1980.

Volquez's start is likely a surprise to everyone but himself.

"No. I can't be surprised because that’s what I’m looking for -- one run or no runs in every outing," Volquez said.

Volquez got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth after giving up his only run of the game on a Hanley Ramirez sacrifice fly by striking out second baseman Dan Uggla for the second time on the night.

"Changeup," Volquez said of the pitch that ended the fifth. "I think it was the best pitch I threw in the game."