Navarro's Bat Heating Up With Summer Temperatures

When the Reds signed 28-year old catcher Dioner Navarro to a minor league contract this offseason, the organization knew they were getting a major league veteran with all-star credentials. With the platoon of Ryan Hanigan and Devin Mesoraco working well for Cincinnati thus far in 2012, Navarro has spent the duration of this season in Louisville with the Bats, providing stellar defense and invaluable knowledge behind the plate for the team's young pitching staff. Perhaps Navarro's most welcome asset over the season's first few months, however, has been his steadily improving offense, which helped provide a spark for a team that has at times struggled at the plate.

Navarro, a switch hitter who has played in 602 major league games with four different teams, is among the Bats' team leaders in hitting this season with a .330 average that has continued to grow since the calendar turned to June. With the weather getting warmer and the season nearing the all-star break, Navarro has gotten even more dialed in at the plate, hitting .464 thus far in nine June games.

Navarro's offensive outburst started when he returned from an injury on June 6th after missing about 10 days. Since then, the2008 Major League All-Star has put together a seven-game hitting streak that saw five multi-hit games. The recent 10-day stint where Navarro was out of action wasn't his first injury of the season, as he also spent a week on the DL in early May with kidney stones. Navarro has fought through the injuries with an impressive persistence, as he has hit at a .449 clip at Louisville Slugger Field, and has roughed up left-handers to the tune of a .432 average.

In 33 starts this season, 28 of which have been as a catcher and five as a DH, Navarro has 36 hits and a pair of homers to go with a strikeout to walk ratio that is an even 1:1, proving his good patience and decision making at the plate. Navarro's hitting has also proved to come in timely spots, as his average with runners on base is over 100 points higher than when the bases are empty.

Before signing with the Reds this offseason, Navarro had spent 2011 in the Dodgers, where he led the league in pickoffs (5) despite only playing in 64 games. Most of Navarro's accomplishments at the big league level, however, occurred as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006-2010. Navarro was an American League All-Star with Tampa in 2008, hitting .295 on a Rays squad that won the American League Championship before falling to the Phillies in the World Series. Two years later, Navarro was a member of the Tampa Bay team that earned the AL Wild Card.

With his continuing productivity at the plate and steadying presence behind it, Navarro may be the Reds' next best catching option should an injury strike Ryan Hanigan or Devin Mesoraco. After spending most of the past six seasons in the Major Leagues, there's no reason to think Navarro won't be ready to answer the call should he be needed in Cincinnati.