The Cincinnati Reds will explore using Devin Mesoraco in left field this season.

Mesoraco has been suffering from a hip impingement, which has kept him from working behind the plate.

He will first work to get back to hitting and then he will work with the club's coaching staff on playing left field. If all goes well, he would have a rehab assignment and play in the outfield in the minors before returning to the Major League club.

Mesoraco hasn't played in the field since April 12.

"We're going to continue to prepare him to hit and potentially work with him in the outfield a little bit and see if that's an option moving forward, to see if we can extract some value from him before we write off his season," Bryan Price said.

"If he can't catch and he can only be a pinch-hitter, his value is so limited that it wouldn't make sense to take up that roster spot if that's all he can do. If he can play the outfield a bit capably, it's a way to get him in the lineup every now and again and let his bat do some influence for our club."