Cincinnati Reds notes: Kremchek optimistic about Mesoraco’s future

By the time the 2017 season rolls around, Cincinnati Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco will be almost 29 years old. He’ll have missed almost two full seasons, having played 23 games in 2015 and 16 in 2016. He will have undergone surgeries on each of his hips and one of his shoulders.

An All-Star in 2014, Mesoraco has run into one piece of bad luck after another in the last two seasons. The Reds announced Monday the latest piece of bad news for their former starting catcher.

Mesoraco had surgery Monday morning to repair a torn labrum in his right hip. Dr. Bryan Kelly, who repaired the impingement in Mesoraco’s left hip in June 2015, also performed this surgery. Mesoraco, who was already out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder on May 10, is expected to begin catching drills in mid- to late-January.

The surgery was done now to prevent problems in the future for Mesoraco, said Reds Medical Director Dr. Timothy Kremchek. The Reds knew at some point Mesoraco would need the left hip fixed. He did fine in spring training and showed limited symptoms early this season.

Then when Mesoraco suffered the shoulder injury, they decided to do the surgery when he had recovered enough to handle crutches.

“I’m glad we did this,” Kremchek said. “This would have been an emotional problem for the team if he had gone down early three years in a row, so it was the right thing to do.”

Based on how Mesoraco responded to the right hip surgery, Kremchek is optimistic he will be able to return to catching in 2017.

“I think it’s going to give him a spring in his step,” Kremchek said, “and make it easier for him to squat down and do certain things.”

Rotation news: The Reds have not announced their starting pitchers for the three home games against the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend.

The Reds have an off day Thursday so they could start Dan Straily on Friday with the normal five days of rest and then maintain the current rotation. That would give them until Tuesday to decide on who will take the place of John Lamb, who was demoted to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

Price said they would not rush Homer Bailey back from the disabled list to make that start. He’s expected to need at least one more rehab start.

Injury update: Pitcher Tim Adleman threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session Monday. He has been on the disabled list with a strained left oblique muscle since May 20.

“It’s nice to get back out there and throw and not feel any awareness of the injury,” Adleman said.

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