As spring winds down, Hanigan playing catchup

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan lags behind in at-bats this spring compared with other lineup regulars.

Hanigan, who is batting .333 (8-for-24), was out from March 1-9 with a strained left oblique muscle.

"I had a little spell with my side, but that feels good," Hanigan said. "It took a little while to get that back. I'm still working on it. I've had the chance to get Minor League at-bats. I haven't had a ton of big league at-bats. I made up for it by getting some ABs down there. I think things are coming together at the right time. My body feels good. My swing feels good. Hopefully I can use the rest of these games to get as many at-bats as I can and keep at it in terms of getting everything real consistent."

The injury interfered with Hanigan in pretty much all facets of the game.

"It wasn't knifing pain but consistently annoying," said Hanigan, who batted .274 in 112 games last season. "To get rid of that, I'm keeping with my preparation to make sure it doesn't come back."