Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson has not had the best luck with injuries this season, already suffering a concussion and a broken thumb that has caused him to miss significant time this season. His luck got even worse during Friday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals when a foul tip from Paul Goldschmidt hit him in the clavicle.
Stephenson didn’t immediately come out of the game. He caught the next pitch and was even able to throw the ball back to Cincinnati pitcher Graham Ashcraft. But when Goldschmidt dribbled a ball in front of the plate later in the at-bat, Stephenson fielded the ball but couldn’t make the throw to first base, doubling over in pain at the attempt.
After the game, X-rays revealed a fractured clavicle with Stephenson calling it “a clean break.”
“I could feel it rub up and pretty much break, rub up against each other,” Stephenson told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. “I still feel it if I do move … It’s a clean break in my collarbone. Luckily, I guess the good thing is there is no surgery needed as long as it heals correctly.”
This is the third major injury for Stephenson already this season after the catcher missed 10 games with a concussion after an April 19 collision with Luke Voit of the San Diego Padres and 27 games with a fractured right thumb after he was hit by another foul tip during a June 9 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. In total, the Reds star has only played 50 games this season.
There’s currently no timetable for Stephenson’s return. After this most recent injury, the Major League Baseball world had plenty to say, with most suggesting the team move the young star away from the catcher position to keep him healthy.
There has been a lot of debate about Tyler Stephenson’s value as the @Reds future first baseman/DH vs his value as the Reds catcher. What’s his value as a member of the Reds injured list? pic.twitter.com/TzhZBrhTDu
— Steven Offenbaker (@soffenbaker) July 22, 2022
The Reds have used three 2nd round picks and one 1st round pick on catchers since 2016, the year after they used a 1st round pick on Tyler Stephenson.
Catching is hard, man. Finding catchers is even harder.
— Red Reporter (@redreporter) July 23, 2022
Has anyone suggested that Tyler Stephenson not play catcher?
— Mo Egger (@MoEgger) July 22, 2022
Whatever the rest of Tyler Stephenson's season looks like, he was in the middle of as impressive of a year as you'll see from a young catcher.
He was hitting .319 and played a massive, tangible role with the young pitchers. His role on the team has been as important as anyone's.
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) July 23, 2022
OK… enough is enough. No more Tyler Stephenson as a catcher. He's too valuable to be getting beat up this much behind the plate.
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) July 22, 2022
No, YOU just typed that Tyler Stephenson broke his collegebone
— Doug Gray (@dougdirt24) July 23, 2022
Despite the many suggestions that Stephenson change his position in the interest of his health, the 25-year-old insists he wants to stay behind the plate.
“I know injuries are going to happen,” Stephenson said. “If it does come to a point where something physically is not going to allow me to catch, that’s a different story. Obviously, I know what my decision is. I want to catch. That’s a conversation for another day.”
Before the injury, the young star was batting .319 with an .854 OPS, six home runs and 35 RBIs this season in just 50 games.
[MLB.com]
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