CINCINNATI -- Devin Mesoraco is prepared to play naked for the Cincinnati Reds. That's the way he feels when he plays baseball without his catching gear -- without his mask, chest protector and shin guards.
But the Reds want him to play left field, where catching gear is not allowed, and they hope he won't be out there feeling as if he is wearing the Emperor's Clothes.
With a hip impingement that prevents him from squatting, pre-requisite No. 1 for a catcher, and with the loss of left fielder Marlon Byrd (broken wrist), why not give it the old high school try.
High school try? That's the last time Mesoraco patrolled the pasture, "I caught, played shortstop and played outfield in high school because I was the best athlete," he said.
Catching, though, is in his DNA and that's where he wants to be so playing left field, if he can, is a temp job until he can have postseason surgery that will enabled him to squat like a dairy farmer milking a cow.
"This will be good for me and I hope for the team," said Mesoraco. "We have had extensive conversations in New York with Dr. Brian Kelly, one of the best hip surgeons around. Before Marlon Byrd got hurt we were talking about taking a little more time, giving it a little more rest, and then trying to do some catching stuff.
Dr. Kelly has performed hip surgery on hockey goalies and catchers and they've all come back and were able to do what they had done in the past.
"He told me no matter what I can't do any more damage to the hip," Mesoraco said. "Rest alleviates the problem. The recovery from the surgery is four to six months and at this point we are 10 months until next year. So that won't come into play."
Mesoraco has talked with other catchers who have had the same thing and with Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who had hip surgery for the same thing. Another was catcher Matt Treanor and he said, "It is all of six months, but he feels fine and catching is no problem."
Catching now, though, is a problem so it is on to left field. Coach Billy Hatcher, a former major league umpire, is tutoring him on the position's nuances with an abundance of fly balls to his left, to his right, right at him.
"Now that Byrd went down this is something we can explore," Mesoraco added. "It doesn't hurt it out in left field and I feel perfectly fine in left field. I only feel it when I squat. It isn't going to hurt it any more so I makes sense to go out there and explore left field."
Mesoraco knows the transition isn't just grabbing a fielder's glove, ignorning his maks and chest protector, and just walking out to left field.
"It is a lot different," he said. "I won't know everything until I get out there. I need some balls off the bat. I need to learn the different ways to turn, how to work my feet to make throws. This will give me a chance to go out there and be a little bit of an athlete. I know I used to be able to do it, but I don't know about now. I am confident I'll be all right out there. I just want to give it a shot and try to help the team."
And when will this happen?
"You can take all the fungos you want and that won't replicate game conditions," he said. "I need to go play a little bit after I work a few days with Hatcher. When they deem me ready, they'll send me out."
Manager Bryan Price said he doesn't believe it will be a long process, not a long stay at Triple-A Louisville.
"He has already worked with Billy Hatcher and will work a few more days," said Price. "He has to get the base foundation of the position. He has to feel good with the hip, no inhibitions, and I think we're already there. Then he has to go out play a hand full of games out there. There are a lot of things to know about the position that is more than just going out there and shagging fly balls."
That, of course, means a quick crash course, quick absorption of a lot of things left fielders do that catchers never do.
"That being said, I don't think we're looking at Devin playing a month at Triple-A," said Price. "That's not going to happen. He is going to play the position and get a few at-bats. When ready, he'll be here with a chance to play the position if we get the thumbs-up from the people in Louisville."
