Reds are watching their early-season spark turn into a luxury they can’t afford

This was always bound to be the reality once Tyler Stephenson returned from the injured list, but seeing Austin Wynns reestablish himself as a capable big league catcher was certainly fun to watch. The ride may soon be over, however, for both Wynns and the Cincinnati Reds fanbase.

Stephenson returned from the 10-day IL over the weekend and drew four starts over the last four days — two behind the plate and the other two as the Reds' designated hitter. The Reds' starting catcher for the other two games was Jose Trevino. Despite a favorable matchup against a two left-handed pitchers, Wynns remained on the Reds bench. When Austin Hays returns from his latest stint on the IL, it's a good bet that Wynns will lose his spot on the active roster.

The question, of course, becomes whether or not Wynns will remain with the Reds organization. Now out of minor-league options, the Reds will have to designate Wynns for assignment and attempt to pass him through waivers in order to send him down to Triple-A Louisville. Wynns could always reject the assignment too, choosing instead to become a free agent. This could become quite the quandary for the Reds.

With Tyler Stephenson back from the IL, Austin Wynns is turning into a luxury the Reds can’t afford

Carrying three catchers was never part of the plan, but adding Wynns to the 40-man roster became necessary after Stephenson suffered an oblique injury during spring training. Wynns spilt duties with Trevino over the first month-plus of the 2025 season, but with Stephenson back, the roster is somewhat lopsided.

The Reds are already trying to fit several square pegs into round holes at the moment. Gavin Lux, a natural infielder, has seen the majority of his playing time in left field this season, and former All-Star second baseman Santiago Espinal has already played five different positions in 2025. Spencer Steer's shoulder still isn't 100%, which has limited him to just first base and DH. The Reds can ill afford to have another player who represents a redundancy on the active roster.

Wynns is currently hitting .394 with a 1.141 OPS and three home runs. But since his six-hit game against the Baltimore Orioles on April 20, Wynns has played in just three games, going 3-for-11 with four strikeouts.

The hope, obviously, is that Wynns accepts an outright assignment to Triple-A when the time comes. The Reds have very little catching depth in the minor leagues, and if Wynns leaves the organization, it could put Cincinnati in quite the pickle if one or Stephenson or Trevino hits the IL. If Wynns exits, the next man up would be one of Will Banfield, P.J. Higgins, or Eric Yang.

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