CHICAGO -- After an MRI exam in Cincinnati on Tuesday confirmed the diagnosis of a fractured left foot, the Reds placed catcher Devin Mesoraco on the 10-day disabled list. Outfielder Phillip Ervin was recalled from Triple-A Louisville to take the vacant roster spot.
Reds manager Bryan Price said Mesoraco would be out for 3-6 weeks, which could potentially mean that the injury-plagued 29-year-old may have another season cut short by injury. Mesoraco is currently on crutches and wearing a protective boot over the foot.
"I imagine he will be re-examined after a few weeks in the boot and see how the healing is going before we can define if there is any possibility if he comes back and plays this year," Price said. "We'll just have to wait and see."
In the second inning of the Reds' 15-5 loss to the Cubs, Mesoraco was hit by a Jose Quintana pitch on his left foot. Two batters later, he exited the game and went for an X-ray that revealed a crack on the fifth metatarsal.
An All-Star in 2014, Mesoraco has appeared in just 95 games since the start of the 2015 season due to injuries that included surgeries to both hips and his left shoulder.
Without Mesoraco, the Reds still have two catchers in Tucker Barnhart and rookie Stuart Turner. However, there is one potential complication. Both catchers have wives that are in the ninth month of pregnancies and could deliver around the same time.
"I played with a guy who was not allowed to go," Price said. "His wife went to the hospital and he had to stay and play the ballgame -- that was back in A-ball -- before he could go to the hospital. I don't think we're quite to that place with our guys, but we're going to need someone here to catch and somebody here to back up."
Cincinnati has no other catchers on its 40-man roster. At Triple-A Louisville, the organization has Chad Wallach and Adrian Nieto, while Joe Hudson and Chad Tromp are at Double-A Pensacola.
The Reds also have an overworked eight-man bullpen -- and needed to use second baseman Scooter Gennett in relief during Monday's game -- but it was imperative to call up another position player in Ervin.
"We'd have a three-man bench, and it just doesn't work," Price said. "One of those guys is the second catcher, and you know Turner isn't going to be a guy that comes into the game early. That really puts us in a tough spot if he gets hurt. We've got no one else to come in and catch other than an emergency guy. And that would be an embarrassment if they got in there too early. It really limits you to a two-player bench."
Ervin returns
Ervin arrived for his third big league stint of the season. In his first callup, from April 21-25, he got two pinch-hit at-bats. He did not see any action his last time up, from Aug. 1-5. The rookie did not mind being up and down from Triple-A.
"I'm not really thinking about it," Ervin said. "I am just enjoying the moment, taking it in, watching the guys and being ready."
Worth noting
Outfielder Scott Van Slyke cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Louisville. Van Slyke, who was acquired from the Dodgers in a trade for reliever Tony Cingrani on July 31, was designated for assignment on Aug. 9.