Dodgers spring training 2013: Tim Federowicz leading candidate for backup catcher

One of the few roster spots that has been open this spring is the back up catcher. While the Dodgers brought in a number of non-roster catchers, Mattingly said Tim Federowicz "has been the guy from the beginning that we talked about nd there hasn't been a huge change."

With the WBC, this year's camp was longer and Mattingly knew he would give A.J. Ellis some rest during this first part of camp but now as the season gets closer, he is going to start changing that.

"A.J. is going to get more at bats, kind of backing him off because I knew he had a long camp," said Mattingly, "But we're at the point where those two will start getting the lion's share of those at bats."

Federowicz realized that he was being used differently this spring training,

"I've been playing more this year," said Federowicz, "I'm starting games instead of coming in later in the game which is good. So it has been pretty good camp so far."

Between bullpens and games, Federowicz has caught everyone and on Tuesday night he caught Josh Beckett for the first time in a game. Right now, it is less about pitch sequencing and going over batters and more about working on specifics that the pitcher wants to do.

"It is more they are working on stuff, working on one side of the plate, working on their breaking ball," Federowicz said

Federowicz has caught in games the two big off-season additions to the starting rotation. Federowicz enjoyed catching Zack Greinke.

"He was fun to catch, he was a guy who helped me out," said Federowicz, "We went over the team [White Sox] that we were facing, he knew the White Sox, we went over the game plan before."

Although Greinke had things he wanted to work on during that start, he wanted to go over the batters with Federowicz, because as Federowicz says "if we got into a situation that we needed to put a guy away, he told me those pitches that we could do it with so there would be a little less shaking with two strikes."

Federowicz's impression after catching the first two starts for Hyun-jin Ryu was that the left-hander was improving each time out.

"You can tell each outing is a little bit better which is a good sign for us" said Federowicz, "So by the beginning of the season, he should be good to go."

On his own situation, Federowicz knows all he can do is play baseball and see what happens. "They have not really said anything, that is their decision, I am just going about my business and hopefully I'm the guy they choose," he said.