Reds' latest roster move gives them Tyler Stephenson boost (with annoying setback)

The Cincinnati Reds welcomed back Tyler Stephenson ahead of Friday's clash with the Washington Nationals, but it comes with a price. In order to activate Stephenson, the Reds placed Austin Hays on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain.

Hays had been out of the Reds lineup for the past few days and the team was hoping he'd be able to avoid an IL stint. But the recovery didn't go as planned, and now one of the Reds' key offseason acquisitions will be spending the next week-plus on the injured list.

The Reds, however, get their QB1 back on the field for the upcoming series against the Nats. Stephenson suffered an oblique injury during spring training, and after a rehab stint with the Louisville Bats, is back in the Reds lineup. The Reds now stare down a difficult conundrum — how will Terry Francona allocate playing time with three catchers on the roster?

Reds' latest roster move gives them Tyler Stephenson boost (with annoying setback)

Stephenson's activation had been in the works for some time, and Hays' placement on the IL provides the Reds with a little breathing room. Once Hays is fully healthy, which will add a right-handed hitting bat back to the lineup, it's difficult to see a scenario in which the Reds continue to carry three backstops.

Both Austin Wynns and Jose Trevino have been carrying the load in Stephenson's absence, and during his first couple of games back, it wouldn't be surprising to see Francona deploy one of his three catchers as the team's DH. But as Reds fans know all too well, that strategy only works for so long.

In 2023, the Reds had three catchers on the Opening Day roster. Stephenson, Luke Maile, and Curt Casali all split time behind the plate, but the plan was scrapped midway through the season. Stephenson failed to adjust to playing first base on occasion and Casali suffered an injury prior to the All-Star break. The team released Casali during the offseason and rode with the tandem of Stephenson and Maile in 2024.

The Reds had no intention of using three catchers in 2025, but Wynns' emergence while Stephenson was away made him somewhat indispensable. With no minor-league options remaining, the Reds will soon be faced with the notion of trying to pass Wynns through waivers in order to send him to the minor leagues. That could prove difficult given how well he's swung the bat this season.

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