When he prepares for an incoming pitch, Devin Mesoraco does something that most hitters can’t. He sets his hands back and almost at the lowest part of his ribcage. When he swings, he rips the bat directly to the ball, his hands remaining close to his chest all the while.
The last few years, the 28-year-old Cincinnati Reds catcher hadn’t been able to do that. Three surgeries in the span of two seasons – to repair torn labrums in both hips and in one of his shoulders – prevented his body from functioning that way. Finally healthy this spring, Mesoraco had to relearn his swing all over again.