Tyler Stephenson To Open Year On Injured List With Low-Grade Oblique Strain
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (oblique) will be forced to open the 2025 regular season on the injured list after being diagnosed with a low-grade oblique strain. The Reds weren't too worried about Stephenson's injury when he initially was announced as dealing with a sore back, and although it shouldn't be a long-term injury, it will keep the 28-year-old from playing on Opening Day and in early April. He will now miss the rest of spring training and will hope that he doesn't suffer any setbacks when he eventually starts to ramp up baseball activities. It means that Jose Trevino will now open the year as Cincy's starting catcher, with Austin Wynns likely backing him up. After a bounce-back 2024 season in which the former first-rounder hit .258 with career-highs in homers (19) and RBI (66), Stephenson will now fall outside the top-10 fantasy catchers due to his oblique injury.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (back) is going for an MRI exam after being scratched from Wednesday's Cactus League game against the Texas Rangers due to lower-back pain, according to manager Terry Francona. The Reds initially said that they thought Stephenson "was going to be fine." The starting backstop has hit .227 with a home run and four walks in 22 official spring training at-bats this year. If his injury turns out to be serious enough to land him on the injured list to open the regular season, Jose Trevino would be forced into regular playing time behind the dish in Cincy. Fantasy managers will want to check back later for Stephenson's MRI results, but for now he should be considered day-to-day. The 28-year-old had a resurgent 2024 campaign with career-highs in homers (19), RBI (66) and runs (69) and should be considered a top-10 fantasy catcher as long as his back injury isn't anything serious.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (back) was scratched from Wednesday's lineup due to "lower-to-middle back pain." Manager Terry Francona noted that Stephenson will be "fine" and that it did not make sense to have him suit up. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the team may opt to keep him sidelined for a few days. However, it appears this injury is not serious and will not put him in danger of missing Opening Day. While the 28-year-old kept out of action, Jose Trevino should see most of the catching duties. Last season, Stephenson enjoyed a career-season as he went deep 19 times and held a .258/.338/.444 line. He generated a strong 43.9 percent hard-hit rate with a 90.2 mph average exit velocity. He should be viewed as a solid low-end No. 1 catcher in all formats playing in a favorable hitting park.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson greeted Mitch Keller with a solo home run in the first inning of Friday's 8-3 win over the Pirates, then collected two more hits off of the righty before Keller departed in the bottom of the fourth, ultimately being charged with eight earned runs in the outing. The other two hits were a single and a double, as Stephenson finished 3-for-5 with five RBI and three runs scored in the contest. It was the 28-year-old's third multi-hit game in his last four, and overall he's been a Top-10 option at catcher for fantasy. The former first-round draft pick owns a .265-19-64-67-1 line on the season with a .347 wOBA and 117 wRC+.
Tyler Stephenson Smashes Solo Shot, Records Multi-Hit Game
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson recorded a multi-hit game on Friday night, including a solo shot in the first inning, in the Reds' 6-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 436 foot bomb off Pirates starter Bailey Falter was Stephenson's 17th on the season. The 28-year-old has been on a bit of a hot streak in August, hitting for a .943 OPS and smashing six of his 17 homers during the month. Stephenson looks to be a solid under-the-radar candidate for fantasy managers to add for their playoff push, especially with Stephenson's current hot streak in August providing a ton of value. He should continue to get plenty of playing time for the Reds as they work to find their way back into the playoff race. Look for Stephenson to be back in the lineup tomorrow when the Reds face off against Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jake Woodford.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson is taking the day off on Thursday in the series opener against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Luke Maile is doing the catching for left-hander Nick Lodolo and will bat ninth against Pirates rookie right-hander Paul Skenes. Despite the fact that Stephenson is currently in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak, the Reds will give the 28-year-old backstop a blow against one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. During his seven-game streak, Stephenson is hitting .310 (9-for-29) with a homer, three doubles and five RBI in 30 plate appearances. He should be back in action for the second game of the series on Friday in Pittsburgh. Maile is hitting only .162 (18-for-111) in backup duties with two homers and eight RBI. Avoid him as a DFS sleeper in a matchup against Skenes.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson will take a seat in Sunday's series finale and will cede catching duties to Luke Maile. Stephenson has held a strong .289/.347/.578 slash line with three home runs and seven RBI over his past 11 games. Throughout the entire campaign, Stephenson has posted a .248/.324/.457 line with 16 long balls. Under the hood, he boasts an above-average 10.2% barrel rate and a 44.5% hard-hit rate, which suggest his power surge should continue down the stretch. Maile has been limited by several injuries this summer and has gone a mere 5-for-36 over his past 14 games. DFS players should look to fade the 33-year-old catcher as he will face Kansas City Royal right-hander Brady Singer, who carries a 3.32 ERA into Sunday's game.
Tyler Stephenson Goes Deep Twice To Power The Reds To A Victory
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson went 2-for-4 with two home runs on Saturday afternoon. The backstop hit his first long ball of the day in the second frame, which was a solo shot. Then, later in the fourth, he hit a three-run blast which scored Spencer Steer and Ty France. The backstop carried a ten-game power drought into Saturday's match. In 92 games this summer, the 27-year-old has posted a .241/.322/.430 line with 12 long balls, 37 RBI, and a 30:58 BB:K ratio. With his strong 18.0% K rate and 44.5% hard-hit rate, Stephenson is worth starting in most standard leagues going forward.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson homered twice and knocked in five runs on Thursday in an 8-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Stephenson is hitting .248 with 10 home runs, 34 RBI, one stolen base and 36 runs scored in 266 plate appearances this season. This continues a hot streak for the veteran catcher, who is hitting .294 with four home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored in 36 July plate appearances. All four of those home runs have come in the last three games. Stephenson is a productive hitter at a premium position at this time,
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson put together a big day at the plate in Tuesday's victory versus the Colorado Rockies. The backstop went 3-for-5 on the evening with three runs, two RBI and a solo home run. The veteran needed a breakout game like this as he has hit .180 over the past month and Tuesday's homer is his only longball in his last 61 at-bats. Stephenson is now hitting .240 with seven home runs and 28 RBI over 229 at-bats. The veteran is no longer a must-roster catcher with his struggles and is best served as an option in two-catcher leagues, but managers should be able to find a hot-hitting catcher on the waiver wire that can be more intriguing.
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