GOODYEAR, Ariz. – David Bell sat in front of a printout of the Cincinnati Reds’ 2023 schedule, one larger than the pocket schedules, and marked up a plan on where to play Tyler Stephenson each game.
The goal is to play Stephenson for 140-150 games if he can remain healthy because he’s one of the best hitters on the roster. Playing that many games, however, means he won’t be spending as much time at catcher.
Bell is planning for Stephenson to catch about four out of every 10 games with three games as the designated hitter and two at first base.