3 Cincinnati Reds who could be the team's DH versus left-handed pitching

3. Tyler Stephenson is the Cincinnati Reds best DH option versus LHP.

For my money, the best player to insert into the role of DH when the Cincinnati Reds face a left-handed pitcher is Tyler Stephenson. Last year's rookie hit .291/.357/.457 versus southpaws in 2021. Stephenson also posted just a 14.0% strikeout-rate versus lefties.

This scenario would give David Bell the best of both worlds. By moving Stephenson from his spot behind the plate to the designated hitter when a left-hander is on the mound, he'd be giving the former first-rounder a break from his catching duties and keeping one of his best right-handed bats in the lineup.

So who takes over behind the dish when Stephenson is the Reds DH? I'm glad you asked. There's likely two leading candidates at the moment; Mark Kolozsvary and Andrew Knapp. Kolozsvary is a right-handed batter and Knapp is a switch-hitter.

Kolozsvary was called up to the Cincinnati Reds last season, but never saw any action. He's currently part of the 40-man roster, but is more likely to debut at Triple-A Louisville next season. Knapp, the former Philadelphia Phillies' catcher, was signed to a minor-league deal this offseason.

There's obviously other scenarios available. Bell could put Jonathan India in the DH role versus left-handers and allow either Nick Senzel or Kyle Farmer to get reps at second base. Jose Barrero could be the Reds designated hitter against lefties and Farmer could play shortstop. There's several options, but Mike Moustakas should not be one of them.