Reds' Devin Mesoraco: 'I missed Opening Day enough'

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Reds received a scare on Sunday when Devin Mesoraco left the exhibition against the Angels with a cramp in his left quad, but the team's All-Star catcher said he believes he'll be fine for Opening Day.

"I think I got that cramp feeling in there and it's tough to tell if you actually pulled it or it was a cramp. Right now my strength is good," said Mesoraco, who missed Opening Day with an oblique injury last season. "I missed Opening Day enough, I want to be in there. Hopefully I'll be fine."

Mesoraco was on first base after legging out a fielder's choice and then rounded third on Brennan Boesch's double. Boesch was rounding second to go for a triple, but had to scamper back to second when he saw Mesoraco pull up and go back to third.

Mesoraco said he started cramping up when he rounded second.

As soon as the play was over, Reds head athletic trainer Paul Lessard went to third to talk to Mesoraco and he immediately came out of the game. As he walked to the dugout, Mesoraco pounded his batting gloves on the railing in apparent frustration.

Mesoraco was replaced by Chad Wallach.

"It was hot, maybe I didn't drink enough water," Mesoraco said. "Definitely hoping it's a cramp."

Mesoraco started last season on the disabled list with a strained oblique and then went on the DL later in the month with a hamstring injury. Initially, at least, it appears the Reds dodged a bullet with another injury to start the season.

"It looks that way, we'll certainly know quite a bit more in 48 hours," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We're hoping it's just a cramp and in the next couple of days he's feeling a lot better."

He then missed a week this spring after suffering a concussion when a foul tip hit him in the mask. He said he's bounced back and is ready to start the season.

"If the season were to start tomorrow — I feel good, maybe not tomorrow, because my quad is sore," Mesoraco said. "But as far as at-bats go, I feel fine."