Gavin Lux talks about getting World Series ring with LA Dodgers
Cincinnati Reds IF/OF Gavin Lux helped the Dodgers win a World Series in 2024 before going to the Reds in a January trade. He gets his ring Aug. 25.
Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson, recovering from a fractured thumb, took a small step toward returning on Aug. 25 by playing light catch and blocking soft balls.Stephenson, injured on Aug. 13, had a protective sleeve custom-fitted and expects to gradually increase his workload.While a specialist suggested a possible return in 10-14 days, the timeline remains fluid and dependent on avoiding setbacks.
LOS ANGELES – Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson took a small step on Aug. 25 toward returning from a fracture at the tip of his left thumb.
A few days after being custom-fitted for a protective sleeve by a hand specialist, Stephenson played light catch and blocked softer plastic balls shot into the dirt by a pitching machine.
“Felt good,” said Stephenson, who also took some light batting practice in the cage before the Reds’ series opener at Dodger Stadium. “It doesn’t hurt at all. But I haven’t really done anything.
“Today was a good starting point.”
The Reds starting catcher, who hurt the thumb on a pitch from Hunter Greene Aug. 13, expects to add to his volume of work over the next week in small increments until he feels ready to test it with more vigorous throws.
His timeline for a return is fluid at best and very susceptible to a setback if he bangs the injured area awkwardly.
Manager Terry Francona said the doctors initially called it potentially a two-to-four-week injury that probably skewed on the higher end because of his position. Stephenson said the specialist said barring setback he might be ready to return in “10 to 14 days.”
The Reds return home after the Dodgers series to face the Cardinals, with 28 games left in the season.
“The way the trainers explained it to me was there’s 100 ways to set him back and there’s really only one good way to get him better,” Francona said, “and that’s to give him time.”
A lot of it might be a function of what Stephenson can tolerate.
“Nobody’s going to try to slow him down,” Francona said. “We just want to do what’s right.”