While catcher Devin Mesoraco had been doing some swinging the Cincinnati Reds figured it was best to give him additional time and have placed him on the 15-day disabled list to start the season.
The expectation is that Mesoraco will be ready in early April. While he is out of action the Reds will use Brayan Pena as their regular backstop. Tucker Barnhadt has been recalled from Triple-A to serve as their backup.
Mesoraco hit .238/.287/.362 with nine home runs and 42 RBI across 103 games last season.
The Reds also placed Aroldis Chapman on the DL with a fractures in his nose and eyes following a line drive off his face in Spring Training. Chapman is expected to miss the first month of action.
Chapman has recorded 38 saves in each of the past two season. He had a 2.54 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP last season across 63 2/3 innings of work. While he is out of action there is no clear source of saves in the Reds bullpen as Jonathan Broxton will also start the season on the disabled list.
