He found that his power is where he wants it to be, and he’s on track to be back in the Reds’ lineup in the near future.
“It just feels good to be outside,” Stephenson said. “I just hit with the most intensity that I’ve pushed it so far. I feel good. Now, I’m just building up and getting ready in games here coming soon.”
Stephenson is expected to begin a rehab assignment in Triple-A on April 22. He didn’t have an answer on how many Triple-A rehab games he’ll play coming off of the injured list, but his return to the big league lineup isn’t far off.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
All along, the Reds have been patient with Stephenson’s rehab progression.
He was hoping to be cleared to resume on-field baseball work around Opening Day, but the Reds played it safe.
“Everyone rehabbing, you want to get back to doing stuff,” Stephenson said. “But there’s a fine line of being smart. We have a lot of baseball left, and the last thing you want to do is tweak it and we’re out longer. It just feels good to be doing baseball activities again.”
Oblique injuries are tricky. In 2023, Reds second baseman Matt McLain strained his oblique, rushed back and ended up suffering a much worse oblique injury right before he would have returned to the active roster.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
By being patient with Stephenson, the Reds are avoiding that risk.
While Stephenson has been sidelined, he has had a front row seat to watch an impressive Reds’ starting rotation. That group reminds Stephenson of what the Reds had during his rookie season in 2021, when Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle and Wade Miley nearly carried the Reds to the playoffs.
“We had a lot of studs then, and we have a lot of studs now,” Stephenson said. “We’ve been fortunate to have some really good pitchers here.”
It’s been especially exciting for Stephenson to watch Reds ace Hunter Greene, who has looked like one of the best pitchers in MLB through the first three weeks of the season.
Stephenson and Greene are two of the longest-tenured Reds, and Stephenson has been behind the plate for a lot of Greene’s best moments in the big leagues as well as some of the worst moments.
Stephenson and Greene have grown up together in the big leagues, and it’s been rewarding for Stephenson to see Greene take yet another step this year following Greene’s breakout 2024 season.
“We saw him turn that page last year and saw what he’s capable of,” Stephenson said. “The growth last year, seeing what he’s doing, I’m not surprised. I’ve been able to see the steps that he has made mentally, with his prep and taking care of himself. It’s been a lot of fun to watch from the side. I’m hoping to be catching him here soon.”
SATURDAY’S GAME
Baltimore at Cincinnati, 4:05 p.m., FanDuel Sports, 1410-AM
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