The Reds have made the much anticipated official announcement that Devin Mesoraco has been activated from the 10-day disabled list. He’ll be on the Reds roster for tomorrow night’s game in St. Louis.

The #Reds have activated C Devin Mesoraco from the 10-day DL and optioned RHP Barrett Astin to the Triple-A @LouisvilleBats. pic.twitter.com/AMmIkfOm03 — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) April 27, 2017

In case you’ve forgotten your Mesoraco history, here’s a brief timeline:

The Reds have been conservative in Mesoraco’s latest rehab and recovery. They slow-played him through spring training, despite Devin never reporting a setback. His progress in the minor leagues since the start of the season has been regulated but steadily forward. AfterÃ‚Â speculationÃ‚Â the Reds might try to find playing time for Mesoraco in the outfield, that experiment seems to be on hold for now.

The second hip surgery was a smart precaution to take while Mesoraco was already on the DL.Ã‚Â By all accounts, Mesoraco is now healthy and should have the stamina to play a lot. Although, expect the Reds to continue their cautious approach.

But shoulder surgeries like Mesoraco’s can mess up a hitter’s timing for a good while. Hitting is the recovery marker, not the health of his hips, that most bears watching. Reds fans have seen with Scott Rolen and Ryan Ludwick the effect shoulder surgery can have on power. Research on the long-term effect of lead shoulder injuries shows a wide range of outcomes.

Whenever shoulder injury/surgery comes up, I think of this quote from one of the leading specialists on the topic of shoulder repair:

Ã¢â‚¬Å“Trying to re-establish ones mechanics after surgery is a complex process,Ã¢â‚¬Â says Dr. ElAttrache, speaking generally. Ã¢â‚¬Å“ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s extremely delicate. It involves rebuilding strength, and all that goes into the swing from the front shoulder. It takes perfect mechanics to regain bat speed and the swing path. Sometimes it takes a year, sometimes more.”

If spring training was any indication, expect plenty of bad swings from Mesoraco. He’ll run into a pitch now and again. It’s hard to grasp this, but after the All Star break is the right timeframe to start to evaluate Devin Mesoraco’s hitting. In that respect, he fits right in with much of the rest of the roster.

As for the Reds roster, the club plans to hold on to Stuart Turner, for a while at least. Carrying three catchers doesn’t sound like something Bryan Price would want to do for long. But Turner being available does allow Mesoraco and Tucker Barnhart to pinch hit. Turner won’t see much playing time, so his defensive attributes and offensive liabilities hardly matter. While Turner would add organizational depth at catcher, it’s not like finding a back up catcher is that difficult. It’s hard to imagine the Reds sacrificing much to keep Turner on the major league roster this year. He’ll be around until the Reds are satisfied that Mesoraco is ready to go.