Reds' Devin Mesoraco feeling better, feeling out OF

The game-winning double in Tuesday's walk-off win over the Braves wasn't the only reason Devin Mesoraco was smiling after the game.

Since the first week of the season, Mesoraco has been dealing with a hip impingement, and his return to catching has seemed like a moving target. In the last couple of weeks, he's answered the same questions the same way – things are progressing slowly.

That changed on Tuesday.

"I'm optimistic. Some of the stuff we've tried has really helped," Mesoraco said. "This is definitely the best I've felt. If you would have asked me a week ago, two weeks ago. I wouldn't have brought that up. I'd say I could hit. I think at this point, some of the stuff we're doing has taken hold and helped. We obviously haven't done it yet, but I'm optimistic."

For weeks, Mesoraco has said he feels fine swinging the bat and running. He's shown that in the last couple of days, legging out a triple in Chicago on Sunday and then a double on Tuesday as a pinch-hitter. But still, returning as a catcher is the primary goal.

There's no scheduled time to try catching, Mesoraco noted, but it doesn't seem to be out of the question.

It's also not out of the question that Mesoraco could find some time in the outfield. He recently acquired a new outfielder's glove and has been taking fly balls in the outfield.

"In an emergency situation, if I had to go out there, I feel like I could go out there," Mesoraco said. "I would certainly need a whole lot of work to be able to play out there. But I think – maybe not in the near future, maybe at some point that's maybe something we try to explore."

For now, Mesoraco can only see that glove being used in a game in case of an emergency, but he said he will continue to work in the outfield. And even if not this year, he now sees it as a goal in the future.

"I don't know about during the season, I need a lot of work. I don't know," Mesoraco said. "I guess a lot of it depends on my health. If I'm feeling better like I have been here in the last week or so, then maybe we'll explore it a little bit more. For right now, I think I'm always going to be a catcher.

"That's the most important thing. But you always want to be able to – like Buster Posey or Jonathan Lucroy – I feel like I'm athletic enough to go out there once a week or something. I think in the future we'll explore that. But right now, my focus is on getting healthy to catch. I think we're getting closer to that point than what we have at any other point throughout this."

Said Reds manager Bryan Price, who spilled the beans in his post-game news conference: "It doesn't mean he's going to play in the outfield, but you never know, in a pinch, if we needed somebody to go out there, it might be Devin Mesoraco. You just never know."

As Mesoraco was answering questions about his readiness to play other positions, first base was mentioned. The Reds' incumbent first baseman, Joey Votto, overheard and jokingly told Mesoraco not to think about it. Mesoraco said he'll stick to outfield work for now.

"First base would take too much work, I think. That would be another level of work. I don't think that'd be in the equation," Mesoraco said. "That would be a challenge. The closer you are to home plate, the more squatted you are. So throw me as far as out there – as least of a squat as I can possibly get in."