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.

O'Brien was traded to the Diamondbacks along with a player to be named later or cash considerations in exchange for Martin Prado.

O'Brien, 23, had started to generate some buzz among prospect followers with 23 homers in just 72 games at Double-A Tampa, but with the Yankees already flush with young talent at catcher in their organization in Gary Sanchez and John Ryan Murphy, the team could afford to deal him elsewhere. It's uncertain whether O'Brien will stick behind the plate long-term, and a position change to either first base or the corner outfield would likely speed up his debut with the Diamondbacks. However, despite his impressive pop, O'Brien will still need to improve his on-base skills before he gets a sustained look with the big club.