Devin Mesoraco has a fractured foot

Two hips, a shoulder, his noggin, a knee, a hamstring, the same shoulder, and now a busted foot. To say Cincinnati Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco has been snakebit with injuries over the last three years is both true and dangerous; it’s true because he’s battled them endlessly, and dangerous because now he’s probably about to get actually bit by a snake now, too. Hopefully it’s at least not poisonous.

Yes, that pitch he took off his left foot in Monday’s loss to the Chicago Cubs left him with a small fracture, according to The Enquirer’s Zach Buchanan, meaning he’s once again dealing with an injury that’ll land him on the shelf for some time. (And no, random internet yay-hoo who suggested he just doesn’t “want” to play, this is as far from that as can damn well be.)

On the bad side, this will again shrink the window for the Reds to see what a fully healthy Mesoraco can provide, since he’s already dealt with a shoulder strain that landed him on the DL for a decent stint this year. Considering he’s got a guaranteed $13 million due to him in 2018 in the final year of his contract, I’m sure the Reds were hoping to see that the breakout power he showed in 2014 was still buried behind the scar tissue somewhere, as that would help them know how to play for their purported climb out of the NL Central cellar in 2018. In reality, though, it’s now going to be pretty easy to again chalk this year up as a lost one for Mes - even if he comes back from this in reasonably short order - since he’s still posting just a .711 OPS and is on pace to play just a half-season, at best.

On the plus side, though, I suppose we’ll get to see a bit more of what Stuart Turner has to offer in the near future, at least. Considering the Reds were confident enough in his abilities to keep him on the active roster all season (as a Rule 5 draftee, that’s the only way they could guarantee keeping him at all), now might be the right chance to get him some rotational run with Tucker Barnhart as a bit of a meal prep for the future. I guess that’s the “plus side” in this, though it all still really just sucks.

The Reds have not announced a roster move yet as Mes is getting an MRI back in Cincinnati, but there’ll be one, to be sure. The question just becomes how much time it’ll take the former All Star to rehab again from this injury.