Stephenson isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Guardians.
Stephenson has gone just 4-for-20 with nine strikeouts across his last five games and will step out of the starting nine Saturday, allowing Jose Trevino to start behind the plate and bat eighth.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Sitting Wednesday
Rotowire
Stephenson is not in the Reds' starting lineup against the White Sox on Wednesday.
Stephenson will get a breather Wednesday after going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the White Sox. Jose Trevino will start behind the dish and bat sixth.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Receiving Sunday off
Rotowire
Stephenson is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros.
It's likely just a standard rest day for Stephenson, who started nine straight games after being reinstated from the injured list May 2. The 28-year-old has enjoyed a good start to the campaign with three doubles, a homer and a .794 OPS through 36 plate appearances. Jose Trevino will step in to catch righty Chase Petty on Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Behind the plate again
Rotowire
Stephenson started at catcher and went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 13-9 victory over Houston.
Stephenson, who was activated off the 10-day injured list May 2, has alternated between catcher and DH since returning from an oblique injury. Saturday's start behind the plate marked the first time he's caught in back-to-back games. Stephenson is batting .233 with six walks, three doubles, a home run, five RBI, four runs scored and a 41.7 strikeout rate over nine contests since his return.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Homers in loss
Rotowire
Stephenson started at designated hitter and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a solo home run in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Nationals.
Stephenson finished off a productive opening series after missing the first five weeks of the season with an oblique injury. He had a pair of doubles and two RBI in his season debut Friday before whacking his first homer Sunday. He's operated as the designated hitter in two of his first three games back off the IL.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Returns with bang
Rotowire
Stephenson started at designated hitter and went 2-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 6-1 win over the Nationals.
Stephenson was activated off the 10-day injured list and made his season debut after rehabbing an oblique injury. He caught several innings while on a rehab assignment, and having him DH was likely a way to slowly integrate Stephenson back into action. He was often used as a DH in past seasons to get his bat in the lineup as much as possible.
Stephenson (oblique) went 0-for-3 with two walks and a run scored for Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday.
Stephenson started at catcher and caught nine innings for the third time this week, including back-to-back days Tuesday and Wednesday. He's expected to make at least one more start during the Bats' doubleheader Thursday before the Reds make a decision regarding his activation, MLB.com reports. Stephenson is up to 28 plate appearances while on his rehab assignment.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Re-evaluated at end of this week
Rotowire
Reds manager Terry Francona said Monday that Stephenson (oblique) will be re-evaluated at the end of this week, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.
That typically means a player will be activated at that time as long as long as they're performing and feeling well in their rehab games. Stephenson has been out all season with a strained left oblique and is 3-for-17 with one home run in his first five rehab contests with Triple-A Louisville. He caught a full nine innings Sunday, which is the first time he's done so since joining Louisville.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Begins rehab assignment
Rotowire
Stephenson (oblique) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday. He's gone a combined 1-for-6 with a double, an RBI and two strikeouts in two games.
Stephenson operated as the catcher in both contests and caught five innings in each. With a layoff of over a month, the Reds are unlikely to push the catcher too quickly through the rehab process.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Works out at Triple-A
Rotowire
Stephenson (oblique) worked out with Triple-A Louisville this weekend and is expected to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Stephenson has been on the 10-day injured list since late in spring training and hasn't played in a game since mid-March. That length of absence suggests he'll require a significant amount of at-bats before rejoining the Reds roster -- maybe 20-to-30 at-bats over a week. As a comparison, the Rangers' Wyatt Langford missed the minimum 10 days and returned Sunday from a less-severe oblique injury after only six at-bats (two games).
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: One week away from rehab assignment
Rotowire
Reds manager Terry Francona said Tuesday that Stephenson (oblique) could begin a rehab assignment in one week, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.
Stephenson strained his left oblique back in mid-March but appears to nearly be game-ready. He will require a handful of rehab contests to knock the rust off but should be ready for his season debut before the end of April if all goes well.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: To begin ramping up soon
Rotowire
Stephenson (oblique) received more good news after undergoing an MRI on Monday, and he'll begin to be more aggressive in his recovery, Pat Brennan of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson is continuing to fight through a left oblique injury, but another MRI showed that he's moving in the right direction. The Reds have yet to disclose a concrete timetable for a return, though he'll likely need to see at least a handful of at-bats in the minors before being activated from the 10-day injured list.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: MRI shows healing
Rotowire
Stephenson (oblique) underwent an MRI last Wednesday that showed his injury was 80 percent healed, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
Stephenson is scheduled to undergo a second MRI while the Reds on the road -- the trip runs from April 3 to 9 -- and there are no plans for him to travel with the club. In the meantime, Jose Trevino and Austin Wynns will continue to serve as the team's catchers.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Moves to IL
Rotowire
The Reds placed Stephenson (oblique) on the 10-day injured list Wednesday.
Stephenson will be eligible for activation April 3, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to make his season debut by then while he continues to recover from a low-grade left oblique strain. He didn't appear in any Cactus League or exhibition games after suffering the injury in mid-March, so Stephenson will likely need at least a brief minor-league rehab assignment to pick up some at-bats before the Reds are comfortable bringing him back. In the meantime, Cincinnati will lean on Jose Trevino as its primary backstop, while Austin Wynns serves as the No. 2 option behind the dish.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Showing improvement
Rotowire
Stephenson (oblique) showed improvement after being examined by a team doctor Friday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Stephenson, who will open the regular season on the injured list, sustained a left oblique strain during spring training. He's been cleared to begin rotational exercises and is scheduled to undergo another MRI on Wednesday. If the MRI comes back clean, Stephenson can start doing additional exercises, which could include baseball activities. With Stephenson sidelined, Jose Trevino moves into the starting job at catcher with Austin Wynns serving as the backup, assuming the Reds don't add anyone from outside the organization in the coming days.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Headed to IL with oblique strain
Rotowire
Stephenson will open the season on the 10-day injured list after being diagnosed with a low-grade oblique strain, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson underwent tests for what had been described as a back injury, but an MRI revealed a strain to his oblique. That the strain is considered minor gives Stephenson a chance to keep his IL stint brief, but oblique issues can linger. With Stephenson out, Jose Trevino will open the season as the Reds' top catcher. Cincinnati has just two catchers on its 40-man roster, which leaves non-roster invitee Austin Wynns as a good bet to be the No. 2 backstop when camp breaks.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Undergoing MRI on back
Rotowire
Stephenson will undergo an MRI on his injured back Thursday, Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson had to be scratched from Wednesday's Cactus League lineup against the Rangers. Reds manager Terry Francona downplayed the injury at the time, but it seems Stephenson hasn't bounced back as quickly as hoped, necessitating the MRI. Francona said the team should have an update on Stephenson's condition later Thursday or Friday.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Scratched Wednesday
Rotowire
Stephenson was scratched from Wednesday's lineup because of lower-to-mid back pain, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Stephenson was scheduled to be the designated hitter and was replaced by Blake Dunn. Cincinnati manager Terry Francona downplayed the injury, indicating Stephenson will be fine and that there was no need to push him.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: First base not likely
Rotowire
New Reds manager Terry Francona doesn't intend to use Stephenson as a first baseman on days he's not catching, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson will still get some reps at DH when Jose Trevino is behind the plate, but Francona wants to keep Stephenson off the field when he's not catching. The practical consequence of this is that Stephenson could get fewer plate appearances, especially with the Reds carrying a legitimate backup in Trevino.
... See More... See Less
Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Drives in five Friday
Rotowire
Stephenson went 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, five RBI and three total runs scored in Friday's 8-3 win over the Pirates.
Stephenson opened the scoring with a solo home run off Mitch Keller in the first inning before driving in three more runs with a bases-clearing double in the third. Stephenson would pick up a fifth RBI with his third hit of the game in the fourth frame. The 28-year-old catcher has gone 8-for-14 over his last five games, boosting his slash line to .265/.344/.459 on the season with 19 homers, 64 RBI and 67 runs scored across 486 plate appearances.
