MLB Player News

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco is not in the team's starting lineup Tuesday.

Mesoraco has received a large portion of playing time with Ryan Hanigan on the disabled list. Corky Miller will take his place behind the plate and bat eighth. In 58 at-bats, Mesoraco is hitting .224/.319/.293.

The Giants optioned catcher Hector Sanchez to Triple-A Fresno on Friday to clear a spot on the active roster for outfielder Francisco Peguero. In 11 games with San Francisco, Sanchez posted a .150 average while driving in just one run.

The Brewers will start Martin Maldonado at first base for the third straight game Tuesday against Pittsburgh, the club announced.

Maldonado has now started at first in four of the past six games. Tuesday marks his seventh start at the position in 2013. Maldonado has been iffy defensively, but Alex Gonzalez's struggles at the plate (.459 OPS) have made the move a necessity for Milwaukee. Maldonado is hitting .214/.267/.405 and a robust .250/.318/.550 in his last six games.

Brewers backup catcher Martin Maldonado connected for his first home run of the season Saturday against the Dodgers. Maldonado had a two-run homer off Matt Guerrier.

Maldonado, who has made five starts in 22 games, is batting .200 (7 for 35) with three doubles and six RBI in 11 games.

Padres catching prospect Austin Hedges had to leave Wednesday's Class-A game.

Hedges was involved in a collision at the plate in the sixth inning and could not continue playing. After the game, Hedges said, "it's just a little sore, but it's nothing serious." There has been no update on whether Hedges will miss any games. 

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco was left out of the lineup Tuesday against the Cubs. Corky Miller replaced him behind the plate.

Mesoraco caught 35 innings over the previous three games after a couple went extra innings. 

"I'm fine. I feel like I can catch as many as we play, no matter when it is," Mesoraco told MLB.com. "It's different in the big leagues, I think, because the stakes are much higher. I feel like I trained for this in the offseason, to play every day and catch as many innings as they want."

Devin Mesoraco hasn't produced much as a major leaguer, but then again, the Reds haven't given him much of a chance to play. Now with Ryan Hanigan (oblique) on the 15-day disabled list, Mesoraco should see some regular starts, at least for awhile.

With an uptick in playing time, Mesoraco could easily be an upgrade in Fantasy over several catchers who are more widely owned, like Francisco Cervelli, Welington Castillo and Jason Castro. Don't expect Mesoraco to hit for average, but he could provide a boost to your lineup's power and run production.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco has seen a lot of time behind the plate recently, but will officially be in a full-time role for the next two weeks.

The Reds have placed Ryan Hanigan on the disabled list, allowing Mesoraco to receive the majority of the playing time with the club. Mesoraco is a former top prospect who hasn't seen a ton of chances in the majors yet. If he performs well over this stretch, it could lead to more consistent appearances once Hanigan returns. 

Ryan Hanigan going on the disabled list means good news -- at least in the short-term -- for Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco, who should inherit most of the playing time in Hanigan's absence. Though, Reds manager Dusty Baker still seems to have some problems with Mesoraco's defensive game.

"Mesoraco is catching better and hitting better," Baker said, per MLB.com. "He just has to control the running game. It’s hard to control the running game like Hanigan controlled it."

Corky Miller was brought up to take Hanigan's roster spot, so it's not like Mesoraco's competition is a top prospect or a crafty veteran. This seems like a good time for Cincinnati to lean on Mesoraco and let him learn trial by fire. 

Fantasy owners in need of catcher help can certainly look to Mesoraco in the short-term. He is improving offensively. He's hitting .273 with a .414 on-base percentage and .823 OPS in seven games after a productive spring, which he hit .326 with a .535 slugging percentage and .955 OPS in 23 games.

Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco has played seven games and reached base safely in each after Saturday's 3-2 extra-innings win over the Marlins. He had two singles and a walk to give him a line of .273/.414/.409 in 29 plate appearances and could see extra playing time with Ryan Hanigan dealing with a thumb injury.