Setback may mean Devin Mesoraco's year is over

CLEVELAND — Catcher Devin Mesoraco's latest setback may mean his season is over.

Mesoraco hasn't been able to catch since April 12 because of an impingement in his left hip. He tested the hip Friday. Mesoraco did 15 squats, gave signs and tried to get in a catching stance.

"It was very difficult," he said. "It's probably not something that's going to happen any time soon. It obviously caused some problems afterward. It doesn't make sense to do a whole lot more right now because it doesn't feel good."

Mesoraco hasn't been able to be used as the designated hitter the last two days.

The surgery required to correct the impingement would be season-ending. He'll decide whether to have the surgery when the Reds return from the road trip.

"I'm sure we'll have some type of meeting," he said. "I don't know what we're going to do. I don't expect to be catching in the near future. We'll talk when we get back to Cincinnati."

Mesoraco first tested the hip Tuesday in Kansas City.

"In Kansas City, it went OK," Mesoraco said. "But afterward, it started feeling like it did in the beginning. Yesterday, I had a hard time getting through what I was supposed to do.

"It didn't go very well."

The improvement has been negligible.

"It's very disappointing," he said. "I expected to feel better than I have. We've been doing some stuff that has been helping and has been making me feel better. Then to go out there and not be able to get into a normal catching position that I'm used is definitely disappointing. To compound that, to feel worse after I try to do all that is not a good thing."

Mesoraco was coming off the best year of his career. He hit .273 with 25 home runs and 80 RBI and made his first All-Star team.

"At this point, I haven't been able to do a whole lot for the team. That's definitely been very tough for me," he said. "I expected to come in, hit in the middle of the lineup, catch every day. It hasn't worked out like that.

"It's very disappointing."