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.
Tyler Stephenson Activated From Family Emergency List
The Cincinnati Reds activated catcher Tyler Stephenson (personal) from the family medical emergency list on Tuesday while designating catcher Austin Wynns for assignment. Stephenson was placed on the list on June 27 after the birth of his daughter. He is slashing .240/.317/.397 with six homers, 24 RBI, and 29 runs scored in 67 games. Wynns appeared in the June 29 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, doubling three times and scoring twice in five at-bats. Fantasy managers hope Stephenson can rebound after hitting .201/.303/.353 with a homer, six RBI, and 10 runs scored in June. He's not an elite option, but the 27-year-old is a solid fantasy backstop in leagues that require managers to start two catchers.
Tyler Stephenson Moved To Family Medical Emergency List
The Cincinnati Reds transferred catcher Tyler Stephenson to the family medical emergency list on Monday from the paternity list. Stephenson has already been away from the team for the last three games while on the paternity list, but now he could be away from an additional three to seven days. As long as he remains away from the club, the Reds will carry on with a combination of Luke Maile and Austin Wynns behind the plate in Cincinnati. The 27-year-old Stephenson has been a pretty average contributor for the Reds so far this year, slashing .240/.320/.397 with a .717 OPS, six long balls, 24 RBI and 29 runs scored in 204 at-bats. At the shallow catching position in fantasy, though, those numbers go a lot further for fantasy managers.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (undisclosed) is back behind the plate and is batting fifth for the Reds on Sunday against the visiting Boston Red Sox and right-hander Zack Kelly. Stephenson will return to action after missing the last two games with a minor undisclosed injury. The 27-year-old appeared as a pinch-hitter in the loss on Saturday, signaling that his return to the starting lineup was probably imminent. Now that Stephenson's injury is behind him, he will look to turn things around at the plate after going just 2-for-25 (.080) with no homers, a double, no RBI and six strikeouts in his last 10 games since June 8. The poor stretch has dropped his season line to .243/.322/.397 with six homers and 22 RBI. Fantasy managers may want to keep Stephenson benched until further notice.
Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said on Friday that catcher Tyler Stephenson (undisclosed) is dealing with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day. Stephenson is not in the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Instead, Luke Maile will be the backstop and will bat ninth against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford. The Reds called up minor-league catcher Austin Wynns for Friday's game for extra catching insurance with Stephenson banged up. Friday's game will be the second straight missed game for the 27-year-old Stephenson. We should have more information on what exactly is bothering the Reds' starting catcher, but for now, fantasy managers need to keep him out of their lineups. Stephenson is currently slashing .245/.324/.399 with six homers, 22 RBI and 27 runs scored for the Reds in 188 at-bats in 2024.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (hand) said he had X-rays on his right hand after Thursday's 8-4 win over the visiting division-rival Chicago Cubs, and they came back negative. Stephenson was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning of Thursday's contest but remained in the game and finished 2-for-2 with two singles, a walk and two runs scored to raise his season batting average to .267 and his OPS to .772. The 27-year-old backstop had precautionary X-rays on his hand, but it looks like he's in the clear. Stephenson should be fine to play on Friday in the second game of the series against the Cubbies, but fantasy managers may want to double-check Cincy's lineup. The former 11th overall pick in 2015 out of a Georgia high school isn't flashy but is on pace to set a new career-high in homers if he can stay healthy.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Tyler Stephenson Back In Lineup
As expected, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) and catcher Tyler Stephenson (hand) are both back in the lineup on Friday against the visiting Baltimore Orioles and left-hander Cole Irvin. Encarnacion-Strand is at first base and batting fifth, while Stephenson is behind the plate and batting cleanup. Both Encarnacion-Strand and Stephenson hadn't played since being hit by pitches last weekend. After hitting 13 homers in 63 games in his rookie season last year, CES has been a disappointment so far in 2024, slashing .196/.222/.314 with two homers and 16 RBI in 25 games. Stephenson will return to a .231/.338/.415 slash line with three homers and 10 RBI. Neither Encarnacion-Strand nor Stephenson have faced Irvin in their careers.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Tyler Stephenson Expected Back Friday
Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said he thinks both first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) and catcher Tyler Stephenson (hand) will be able to return on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles after the team's scheduled off day on Thursday. Both Encarnacion-Strand and Stephenson missed their fourth straight game on Wednesday in the series finale against the San Diego Padres after both players were hit by pitches last Saturday. Encarnacion-Strand was hit on his left hand, while Stephenson was hit on his right hand. Bell said the injured list isn't a consideration for either player. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Friday to see if both players are actually back in action for the Reds. The 24-year-old Encarnacion-Strand is the more appealing power option in fantasy, but he's off to a slow start with a .196/.222/.314 slash line and two homers so far in 2024.
Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (wrist) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday's game against the San Diego Padres. Stephenson will miss his third straight game due to a lingering wrist issue. The assumption is that Stephenson is day-to-day and should return later this week. It'll be Luke Maile handling the catching duties versus right-hander Yu Darvish on Tuesday.
