Reds manager David Bell told reporters, including Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, that catcher Tyler Stephenson has a fractured right thumb and will miss 4-6 weeks.
Stephenson was removed from today’s game after taking a foul ball off his throwing hand and it seems that testing has now resulted in this diagnosis that will keep him sidelined for over a month. It’s yet another frustrating injury for a Reds team that has been particularly unfortunate in the health department this year. The club currently has 14 players on their injured list, with Stephenson surely to make it 15 in the next 24 hours or so. Even among players not currently on the IL, many of them missed extended periods of time earlier in the year, contributing to the club’s disappointing 20-37 record on the season so far.
The loss of Stephenson, 25, will be particularly deflating to the team as he’s been one of the few positive stories in this otherwise-frustrating season. After a strong showing in his first 140 MLB games over 2020-2021, the Reds felt good enough about his ability to take over as the regular catcher that they traded Tucker Barnhart to the Tigers as soon as the offseason began, literally the day after the World Series ended. Stephenson has justified the club’s faith in him by putting up a slash line of .305/.361/.468. That production amounts to a wRC+ of 128, or 28% better than the league average hitter. Since catchers typically hit a little bit less than the other players in the lineup, that production is especially valuable. Among backstops with at least 150 plate appearances this year, only Willson Contreras and Alejandro Kirk have been better with the bat this year.
Subtracting that level of production would hurt any team but will especially sting the Reds. The team’s overall batting line was .236/.308/.380 coming into today, amounting to a wRC+ of 90 that places them ahead of just four teams in the league. Without their star catcher, the lineup will likely drop down by another couple of pegs.
Aramis Garcia has been the primary backup in Cincy this year, getting into 25 games but hitting just .169/.194/.231 for a wRC+ of 13. His career line is a bit better but still amounts to just a 57 wRC+. The only other catcher on the 40-man roster is Mark Kolozsvary, who made his MLB debut this year but didn’t impress in a small sample of just six games. If the club were to consider options not on the 40-man roster, they have veteran Sandy Leon in the organization on a minor league deal. He’s only hitting .193/.309/.281, 66 wRC+ in Triple-A this year, but that’s in a small sample of just 20 games. Even if he wouldn’t provide a ton with the bat, he’d at least bring 10 years of MLB experience to the club. Of course, if the Reds aren’t satisfied with that group, they could look outside the organization for an addition of some kind.
Nooo =( there goes our chance at the WS
Still gonna win the division.
He’s no Cal Raleigh.
GO MS!!!
You are right he’s good
Awesome
As a reds fan, and the dumba** running our franchise, thanks for finding us a capable backup.
Does it really matter???
We love Genie and Wink.
Another reds fan here, you should. They are tremendously good people and will believe Wink will wake up from slump too. Still think Geno has some extra in the tank too. Think he just tried to do too much after coming back from his shoulder injury.
I am not worried about Winker at all; all the peripherals are fine and he’s drawing walks. And hitting the ball harder than he has all year last couple weeks. I like the idea of trying to get him some fastballs hitting lead off but I think he’ll end up being a 4-5 hole producer for us with JP and maybe Frazier back at lead off, eventually.
The only players we lost I felt we should have held was winker and Gray, maybe Nick but he was gone too.
Please stop saying Suarez was anything other than what he was, an automatic out.
Currently hitting .209 and .234 in case that matters…..and hitting is BY FAR the strongest assets of their games.
Not sure what we’re missing?
Why are you whining? I’m envious at your team for having one major league caliber catcher.
Haha, fair..
1B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There’s a HOFr at 1B.
38 years old hitting just above.200!
Move him out from behind the plate or you’re going to be missing his bat for big portions of most seasons down the road. Too valuable for that.
.
The Reds are losing anyway – why not call up Barrero and move Farmer back behind the plate?
Because, well, because, you know, Reds thing. Ownership and Bell have it all figured out and we need Farmer to play and Barrero to watch him play because, well, because you know, Reds thing.
Makes about as much sense as their collective analytical ability.
That may be, the most logical explanation in the history of MLB Trade Rumors. I thank you sir, and I acknowledge your grasp of the situation, and your ability to express it so eloquently…
Wow, who’s next?
These catchers should learn how to catch with their hand behind their back like Bench did. Then these stupid injuries wouldn’t happen.
I agree with this 100%…I was a catcher, and as a Reds fan I emulated everything he did. As long as we’re on the catching subject, I have to say something. I know this was HS, but I had a former coach (I played CF for him) of mine umpiring behind me one day. Leadoff hitter walks and steals second on me, barley. We get out of the inning and when I come back to the dish he says, why do you take that step when someone is stealing on you, get the ball, stand up and throw from behind your ear because you’ve got the arm to do that. Same guy made it to first and took off twice, nailed him both times. Every catcher in the show that I see now takes that step. JB took that step. The only catcher I can remember not taking it was Tony Pena..
I owe my fandom of the Reds to Bench. He was the greatest catcher that ever lived. That said, I believe I read somewhere that they don’t teach catchers to place their freehand behind their back anymore because it tightens up that shoulder (thus making it harder to throw out base stealers).
I’ve seen some guys put their hand behind their thigh (Jose Trevino) too.
I don’t understand it. Probability dictates that the more often one catches, the more likely one is to have a foul ball hit their hand if it’s out in front.
AA team anyway. Just keep conducting try outs on the field and hopefully win more than the Mets did. I think they have a good shot at 50 no matter who they trade.
The cherry on top
Big hit to the playoff odds. Now it looks like the Reds will only win 70 games this year.
Why haven’t they put him on the injured list yet? Do they need to make a corresponding move first? How does that work?
I just want to know because Stephenson is on my fantasy team and I can’t pick up a replacement until he’s officially put on the IL.
I think you need to call the Reds. They might not realize you are adversely affected.
I got my people in it. They took care of it, thanks.
YVW