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Mesoraco not rushing to make Opening Day lineup

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Limited to just 39 games over the last two seasons, his career derailed by two hip surgeries and a shoulder operation, Devin Mesoraco won't rush his recovery just to make it into the lineup when the Cincinnati Reds open their regular season April 3.

“I'm a guy who hasn't played in two years, essentially,” Mesoraco told C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “For me to come out catching one full game and getting 15 at-bats in spring training, that's probably not putting me or the team in the best position. If everybody thinks I'm perfectly ready and ready to go, I'll be in there. If not, it's fine.”

A limited participant through the first few weeks of spring training, Mesoraco has yet to play a full Cactus League game, nor has he appeared in games on back-to-back days. Mesoraco, an All-Star in 2014, needs to log more innings behind the plate before he appears in consecutive spring games, manager Bryan Price said.

"We're going to be deliberate with his rehab, it's not a matter of saying he has to be ready on Opening Day at all costs," Price said. "We're not going that way, we're going to let this happen as it happens. We'll see how he responds to an increased workload."

He hasn't totally dismissed the possibility of being in the lineup April 3 at Great American Ball Park, though, and Mesoraco - tabbed to split catching duties, 50-50, with Tucker Barnhart this season - was encouraged about how his body felt catching four innings in Monday's 10-6 win over the Kansas City Royals in Surprise.

"That was definitely the best I've felt, the game didn't feel like it was completely foreign to me like it has the last couple of times," Mesoraco said. "It'll take some time here, but I do feel like I'm getting back in the swing of things. Health-wise, I do feel really good. Which is somewhat, I'd say I'm a little surprised at how good I do feel based on how I was a few weeks ago. I think things are definitely trending in the right direction."

In 2014, his last healthy season, Mesoraco finished with more WAR (4.5) than all but three other catchers, hitting .273/.359/.534 (147 wRC+) with 25 home runs and 25 doubles in 114 games.

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