The Reds are planning to add several fresh faces Thursday when major league rosters expand, according to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon.
Chief among those September callups will be catching prospect Devin Mesoraco.
A 23-year-old from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (yes, home of the famous groundhog), Mesoraco has posted an impressive .289/.371/.484 batting line with 36 doubles, 15 home runs and 71 RBI in 120 games this season at Triple-A Louisville. He was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2007 MLB Amateur Draft and has steadily developed into one of the top young talents in the sport. Baseball America ranked him this winter as their 64th best prospect.
Manager Dusty Baker is likely to keep catchers Ramon Hernandez and Ryan Hanigan fairly active down the stretch, but Mesoraco will see a couple of random starts as the Reds try to get the youngster accustomed to life in the majors. Hanigan is signed through 2013, but Hernandez is set to become a free agent this winter.