Reds' Tyler Stephenson: To catch 65 games this season
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Stephenson is expected to catch about 65 games for the Reds this season, manager David Bell told Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer on Thursday.
The plan is for Stephenson to catch four out of every 10 games and also make three starts at designated hitter and two at first base during that span. Bell said that the team already has every game planned out, although circumstances can obviously change. Just 65 games seems like an awfully low number for your starting catcher, but it should certainly give Stephenson a better shot to stay healthy after he was limited to just 50 contests in 2022. It's welcomed news for his fantasy outlook. The Reds also have Curt Casali, Luke Maile and Austin Romine, so they have other options at catcher. Stephenson's season ended last year with a fractured clavicle, but he enters camp without restrictions.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Expected to see heavy workload
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Reds manager David Bell said Friday that he wants Stephenson (collarbone) in the lineup for 140-150 games this season, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
That helps to explain why the Reds have stacked up an experienced cast of veteran backup catchers -- Curt Casali, Luke Maile, and Austin Romine -- over the course of the winter. Stephenson is expected to see a lot of time at DH and first base to aid in ensuring that he can handle a larger overall workload. The 26-year-old was limited to 50 games in 2022 due to a range of different ailments, but it was a broken collarbone that officially ended his season in August. He's averaged an .823 OPS with 15 home runs and 73 RBI for every 162 games played when healthy.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Swinging again
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Stephenson (collarbone) announced Wednesday via his personal Twitter account that he's resumed taking batting practice.
Stephenson's 2022 campaign came to an end in late July, when he suffered a broken right collarbone that later required surgery. The fact that he's swinging a bat again suggests he's nearing the finish line in his recovery from surgery, but he'll still need to complete a throwing program before he's fully cleared for catching duties in spring training. When healthy last season, Stephenson displayed the upside of a top-tier fantasy catcher, as he hit .319 with six home runs, 35 RBI and 24 runs in just 183 plate appearances.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Likely done for season
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Stephenson isn't expected to return this season after undergoing surgery to stabilize his fractured right collarbone Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson will be eligible to return from the 60-day injured list for the final two weeks of the season, but that was reportedly a long shot even before his surgery. The Reds haven't officially ruled him out for the remainder of the year, but the team has little incentive to rush him in a lost season and seems content to let him rest and heal. With Aramis Garcia (finger) also out, the Reds are going with Michael Papierski and Austin Romine behind the plate.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Surgery completed
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Stephenson underwent surgery Thursday to stabilize a fracture in his right clavicle, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
According to Rosecrans, the procedure is designed to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort in Stephenson's right shoulder, but his timeline for a return shouldn't be affected. The Reds placed Stephenson on the 60-day injured list earlier this week, making him ineligible to return until the final two weeks of the season.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Will undergo surgery
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Stephenson will undergo surgery on his broken collarbone, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.
It was announced earlier in the day that Stephenson was transferred to the 60-day injured list, and that was simply a precursor to the latest update on his status. It's unclear exactly how long Stephenson will need to recover from the procedure, but he will not be eligible to be activated from the injured list until Sept. 21.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Transferred to 60-day IL
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Stephenson (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list Monday.
The Reds have not announced how long Stephenson will be sidelined with his broken clavicle, but Monday's transaction rules him at least until Sept. 21 and indicates his injury could be a season-ender. The Reds figure to mix-and-match behind the plate until either Stephenson is ready to return or the regular season comes to a close.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Officially placed on injured list
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Stephenson (shoulder) was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday.
Stephenson sustained a broken right clavicle Friday against the Cardinals when he was hit in the shoulder by a foul ball and doesn't have a timetable for his return. He'll be forced to spend more than the minimum of 10 days on the IL, and a better recovery timetable will likely come into focus once he resumes baseball activities. Aramis Garcia (elbow/illness) will likely serve as the primary catcher once he's healthy, but Michael Papierski and Mark Kolozsvary will serve as the top two options behind the dish while Stephenson and Garcia are sidelined.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Suffers broken right clavicle
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Stephenson suffered a broken right clavicle Friday against St. Louis.
Stephenson was hit in the shoulder by a foul ball and he was unable to complete a throw to first base a few pitches later. No timetable has been announced for his return, though he'll likely miss a large portion of the rest of the campaign.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Leaves early with shoulder injury
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Stephenson was forced to exit Friday's contest against the Cardinals early with a shoulder injury, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson was hit by a foul ball in the shoulder, causing him to come out of the game a few pitches later. He was replaced by Michael Papierski and can be considered day-to-day for the time being.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Retreats to bench Friday
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Stephenson isn't in the lineup Friday against the Cardinals.
Stephenson started the last five games and hit .450 with a homer, a double, four RBI and three runs. Michael Papierski will take over behind the dish and bat ninth.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Three hits in win
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Stephenson went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 10-5 win over the Rays.
Stephenson took Shane Baz deep as part of the Reds' seven-run third frame. He's gone 5-for-9 in two games since returning from a month-long stint on the injured list. The 25-year-old improved his season slash line to .320/.372/.493 with six home runs and 33 RBI through 164 plate appearances. Since the start of June, Stephenson is 14-for-35 (.400) with four extra-base hits in nine games.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Set for two more rehab games
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Reds manager David Bell said Stephenson (thumb) will play two more games during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville before returning from the 10-day injured list, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson is expected to start at catcher in one of the games and designated hitter in the other, though it's unclear if the Reds plan on having him play both of the next two days or if he'll get a day off in between. Regardless, Stephenson looks like he should be back in action for the Reds no later than Sunday, assuming he experiences no setbacks with his fractured right thumb. Once reinstated from the IL, Stephenson will take over as the Reds' No. 1 catcher, pushing Aramis Garcia back into a reserve role.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Could return during homestand
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Stephenson (thumb) could return during the Reds' current homestand, according to Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Stephenson is set to begin a rehab assignment Monday night, and if all goes as planned in the days ahead, he could be back with the big club by the end of next weekend.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Nearing rehab assignment
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Stephenson (thumb) is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville in the coming days, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson took part in batting practice Wednesday and is close to returning to game action with the minor-league club. The 25-year-old has been on the injured list since June 9 due to a fractured right thumb and will likely require several rehab games before rejoining the Reds, but he seems to be trending toward a return sometime in early July.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Takes batting practice
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Stephenson (thumb) participated in batting practice on the field at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
Manager David Bell recently said he hopes Stephenson will begin a rehab assignment within the next week, and the catcher's participating at batting practice Wednesday is an encouraging sign for his outlook. The 25-year-old will likely need to advance to facing live pitching before being cleared for game action in the minors.
Manager David Bell said Saturday that he hopes Stephenson (thumb) could begin a rehab assignment in the next week to 10 days, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson sustained a fractured right thumb June 9 and initially carried a return timetable of 4-to-6 weeks, but he appears to be slightly ahead of schedule in his recovery. He shed his cast this week and will likely resume baseball activities in the coming days as he prepares for a minor-league rehab assignment.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Ditches cast
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Reds manager David Bell said Wednesday that Stephenson no longer needs a cast to protect his fractured right thumb, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Though the skipper noted Stephenson is "healing properly," the backstop remains without a clear timeline to resume baseball activities. When he first sustained the thumb injury June 9, Stephenson was projected to miss 4-to-6 weeks, so fantasy managers shouldn't count on him returning from the 10-day injured list until shortly before the All-Star break in a best-case scenario.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Will shed cast soon
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Stephenson (thumb) is expected to have his cast removed within the next few days, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Depending on the feedback he receives from his surgeon once the cast is removed, Stephenson could be able to resume light baseball activities by next week. The 25-year-old was projected to miss around 4-to-6 weeks when he first fractured his thumb June 9, and that timeline is still believed to be in place.
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Reds' Tyler Stephenson: Placed on 10-day IL
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Stephenson (thumb) was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Stephenson was hit in the right hand by a foul ball Thursday, ultimately fracturing his thumb. He is expected to miss 4-6 weeks while recovering. Chris Okey was called up to replace him on the big-league roster.
