“I’m trying to speed things up as much as possible to get up and running,” Stephenson said.
As soon as he could, Stephenson started catching the bullpen sessions between games from Reds pitchers. As they went through their preparation and made adjustments, Stephenson wanted to be a part of it.
“These arms, they’ve been rolling,” Stephenson said. “It was cool to experience the bullpen from that side. It was nice to be able to catch them and have those conversations then.”
He tried the same thing as a hitter to work on his swing before officially started his Triple-A rehab assignment.
The Reds have a relatively new piece of technology in the batting cage called Trajekt, which is an advanced pitching simulator that precisely replicates pitch shapes from specific pitchers. For example, you can simulate an at-bat against Reds ace Hunter Greene and see pitches that move identically to his 100 mph fastball, his dynamic slider and his new-look splitter.
Stephenson would log one at-bat after another against different types of pitchers to get into a rhythm.
“It’s an easy way to get as many at-bats as you want without having to do a rehab assignment,” Stephenson said. “It’s good to really compete and see pitches.”
In late April, he went to Triple-A to begin his rehab assignment. Since Stephenson missed a lot of spring training, he wanted some more game action under his belt before he started his season.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
As the rehab assignment continued, Stephenson saw the value of getting in a few games before returning from the injured list. He wanted to make sure that he’d be ready to make an impact upon his return.
“We got rained out two days in Louisville,” Stephenson said. “Could I have come up (a few days earlier) and competed and done the best I could? Yeah. I’m positive of that. But to get the extra three games and 15-to-20 at-bats, I’m happy that I did that. I went back to back nine. I’ve probably had 50 at-bats, including spring training. Some of these guys are at 150 or 200. I’m going to be playing catch up. But I feel ready to go.”
Stephenson was activated on May 2 and hit two doubles upon his return.
“We’re thrilled to have him back,” Francona said. “Gives us that veteran right-handed bat, especially with (Austin) Hays out.”
Stephenson was confident in his ability to hit the ground running even though he didn’t produce consistently on his rehab assignment. In Louisville, he hit .107. But there were good signs mixed in there, including quality at-bats and hard contact that didn’t fall.
“I feel like in the past week or so I’ve been seeing the ball a lot better,” Stephenson said. “I’m just trying to get pitches I’m supposed to hit and be on time for them.”
One reason why Stephenson didn’t have to rush his return was how well backups Jose Trevino and Austin Wynns were returning. Even with Stephenson back, on several days, the Reds have had two or even three catchers in the lineup.
“You leave camp a little concerned, losing one of your top guns (in Stephenson),” Francona said. “(Trevino and Wynns) have done such a good job, it really has helped us a ton.”
Backup catcher had been a weak spot on the Reds’ roster in recent years, but it has been a strength in 2025. That especially mattered without Stephenson available.
“The team wouldn’t be where we’re at if it wasn’t for those two,” Stephenson said. “They’re playing really well. It’s been a lot of fun to watch them.”
Now with Hays on the injured list and Stephenson back in the fold, Stephenson has been spending a lot of time as the Reds’ designated hitter. He has made a big impact, providing the quality at-bat and power that the lineup needs more of.
“It’s great, especially with Hays out,” hitting coach Chris Valaika said. “It’s nice to have another veteran presence in the lineup. The way (Stephenson) got himself ready (on his rehab assignment) and then to see him hit the ground running over his first couple of games, that’s been a credit to him and how professional he is.”
About the Author