O'Brien 2-for-4 with his third home run of the season and three RBI on Saturday for Triple-A Reno. The slugger has a .375/.390/.700 batting line so far for Arizona's AAA affiliate. He continues to work in the outfield, but the club has indicated he will get back behind the plate at some point. O'Brien continues to show off the power that is his calling card, but he has yet to draw a walk through 41 plate appearances this season, which suggests he has some work left to do in his development as a hitter.

O'Brien is getting a mental break from catching as he works through throwing issues, the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro reports. He has moved to the outfield as the D-Backs attempt to let him clear his head before hopefully returning to catching in a month or so. The fact that this even needed to happen shows how sketchy O'Brien is defensively behind the plate, and while it's possible he could catch at some point in the big leagues, it's much more likely that he ends up as an outfielder or a first baseman long term.

O'Brien had another big day for Triple-A Reno, going 4-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. O'Brien is 9-for-20 with a couple of doubles, a home run, and five runs scored to start his time in the Arizona system. He is yet to draw a walk, but that's the only downside to his performance thus far. He is making the transition from catcher to outfield, which makes his path to the majors less clear as Arizona has plenty of outfielders ahead of him, but if he keeps hitting a spot will be found for him.

O'Brien had a huge day Thursday for triple-A Reno, going 3-for-5 with a homerun, three runs scored and three RBI. O'Brien played right field in this one, which may be a hint that the Diamondbacks are ready to give up the idea that he can be a catcher. His ultimate position will determine both his path to the majors and his fantasy value, so it bears watching. What is clear is that the power he showed slugging 34 homeruns across three minor league levels last year plays at any position.

O'Brien is being listed as an outfielder rather than a catcher at Triple-A Reno. That's always been the debate about O'Brien - can he stick behind the plate? He came down with a case of Macky Sasser disease in spring training, struggling to throw the ball accurately back to the pitcher. We'll see if this is a permanent change or not, but clearly it hurts his value.

O'Brien has battled throwing issues recently, the Arizona Republic reports. The issues have surfaced with simple throws, such as returning the ball to the pitcher from behind home plate. While O'Brien and the Diamondbacks have downplayed the issue, there are still legitimate concerns regarding his ability to handle the defensive rigors of the position, even though he's been praised for his work ethic since being acquired by Arizona last summer.

O'Brien started behind the plate and went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the Diamondbacks' win over Colorado on Wednesday. In addition to impressing with his bat this spring, the Diamondbacks have expressed pleasure with O'Brien's progress behind the plate. He has an outside chance of earning the starting job this spring, and it's very likely that he'll ascend to the top of the depth chart at some point during the season if he's sent down to Triple-A Reno to begin the season.

O'Brien has impressed with his bat during the early days of camp, the Diamondbacks' official site reports. The Arizona front office will continue to develop O'Brien as a catcher, where his defense is still a work in progress. Without an established option in camp positioned to handle the bulk of the playing time, the young backstop will have an opportunity to secure the job in a competition with the likes of Tuffy Gosewisch and Gerald Laird this spring.

The Diamondbacks are considering the possibility of having O'Brien make the team's Opening Day roster, the Arizona Republic reports. While there is some debate regarding O'Brien's ability to handle the defensive rigors of catching, the Diamondbacks don't have the luxury of using him at first base with Paul Goldschmidt entrenched at the position. O'Brien spent time behind the plate during the Arizona Fall League, and the lack of viable alternatives currently on the big league roster -- Tuffy Gosewisch and Rule 5 selection Oscar Hernandez -- could pave the way for O'Brien to arrive in Arizona sooner than expected. Those plans are subject to change if Arizona acquires a more proven option before the start of the season, but the current indications from new general manager Dave Stewart point to a lack of interest in seeking help for the position outside of the organization at the present time. At the plate, O'Brien brings plenty of power to the table, as evidenced by his 34 home runs between High-A and Double-A in just 427 plate appearances last season, but his career .319 OBP as a minor leaguer suggests that his plate discipline is still a work in progress.

O'Brien homered in Salt River's 7-4 win over Surprise in the Arizona Fall League on Monday, MiLB.com reports. O'Brien has now hit an AFL-leading three homers in five games, after blasting 34 in 106 games between High-A and Double-A during the regular season. Acquired from the Yankees in the Martin Prado trade, O'Brien took a foul ball off his shin in early August, ending his season in just his fourth game with Double-A Mobile. O'Brien, who's ranked as the Diamondbacks' No. 7 prospect by MLB.com, was working his second game behind the plate with top prospect Archie Bradley.