During Saturday's spring training game in Arizona, Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco suffered a "minor" concussion after taking a foul tip off his mask. This was the third concussion of his professional career, which could be troubling for Cincinnati.
The Reds signed Mesoraco to a four-year, $28 million deal this offseason and planned to have him catch every day in 2015, but his latest injury could put a dent in their plans. The 26-year-old was cleared to resume baseball activities on Wednesday after being reexamined by Dr. Tim Kremchek, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, but there still remains a concern.
"Mesoraco is exploring changes he can make to his mask to help limit his chances of a concussion, including a different type of mask with different material and also increase padding inside the helmet," writes C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
"Reds manager Bryan Price said he is, of course, concerned about any head injury, but said he does not have a heightened sense of concern because it is Mesoraco's third reported concussion. At this point, the team will take his recovery slowly, and comply with the protocols set by Major League Baseball."
It's unclear why Price doesn't have a "heightened sense" of concern because three concussions are certainly enough to elicit some sort of worry. ESPN Insider AJ Mass says there is some concern the catcher could miss "an extended period of time" if he were to suffer another such head injury, which is something that would likely prompt the Reds to change his position.
The good news is that he was throwing and hitting after he was checked out by doctors on Wednesday, so there's not much to be fretting about for the time being. However, if the Reds want Mesoraco to be an everyday catcher, they'll need to figure out a way to equip him with a more protective mask since he'll still be susceptible to getting hit with foul tips.
Additionally, they wouldn't want to lose his bat. The former first-round pick slashed .273/.359/.534 with 54 runs scored, 25 home runs and 80 RBIs in 114 games in 2014.
It's likely Mesoraco will be ready to on Opening Day in four weeks.