MILWAUKEE –– Since the start of the season, the Cincinnati Reds have had a straightforward rotation at catcher between veteran Tucker Barnhart and rookie Tyler Stephenson.
Barnhart has started 55 games at catcher, and Stephenson has started the other 32. Barnhart has typically started against right-handed pitchers, and Stephenson has started against left-handed pitchers or after Barnhart has started a couple games in a row.
According to Reds manager David Bell, it might have started out as a coincidence that Barnhart caught all of Wade Miley’s game. But entering Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Barnhart has become the first-choice catcher when Miley is on the mound.