GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson was supposed to have the afternoon off on Monday, but instead, he was at the team complex working on catching drills with Reds coaching intern Joe Singley.
While Stephenson met Singley only seven months ago, they’ve been going through catching drills together almost every day since the regular season ended. By now, Stephenson knows the routine.
He practices sliding his catching mitt up through the strike zone to “intercept” breaking balls. He catches hacky-sacks with his bare hand to improve his glove positioning. He practices receiving the ball with resistance bands attached to his wrists.