Conger played during portions of seven seasons in the majors, most recently with the Rays in 2016. The 31-year-old hasn't formally announced his retirement, but his transition to coaching likely signals the end of his playing career after recording a .660 OPS with 31 home runs and 114 RBI over his major-league career with the Angels, Astros and Rays.

Conger's presence in the lineup for the first time during Cactus League play indicates that he's no longer bothered by the oblique injury, but he's already been ruled out of consideration for an Opening Day roster spot due to the extensive action he missed. He's expected to serve as organizational catching depth at Triple-A Reno after he was formally reassigned to minor-league camp Monday.

Conger will remain with the big club through the end of spring training, but with the Diamondbacks set to proceed with Chris Iannetta and Jeff Mathis as their two catchers, the 28-year-old will have to settle for duties with Triple-A Reno. The veteran backstop has been sidelined all spring with a strained right oblique and is still awaiting his Cactus League debut.

It's an unfortunate break for Conger, who signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks earlier this month. The 29-year-old catcher hit just .194 in 49 games for Tampa Bay last season and is expected to serve as organizational depth for the D-Backs out of spring training.