Stephenson will be on the taxi squad for the Reds' weekend series, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Stephenson homered in his first major-league at-bat Monday but was optioned to the team's alternate training site Wednesday to make room for Mike Moustakas on the active roster. However, the 23-year-old catcher will be available as an emergency option over the weekend as the Reds prepare for their first road series of the season.

Stephenson was optioned to Cincinnati's alternate camp site Wednesday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Stephenson made one appearance during his time with the big club and went 2-for-2 with a walk, a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Mike Moustakas was reinstated from the injured list in a corresponding move.

Stephenson went 2-for-2 with a walk, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Monday's 8-7 loss to the Cubs.

EDGE Analysis

Curt Casali got the start but came out of the game in the seventh inning with the Reds down 7-1, allowing Stephenson to make his major-league debut in a seemingly low-pressure spot. Instead, the 23-year-old keyed a Cincy comeback that fell just short as he launched a solo homer on the second pitch he saw in the bottom of the frame. He then singled in the eighth to kick off a two-out rally and drew a bases-loaded walk off Craig Kimbrel in the ninth to bring the Reds within one run. Casali has started every game to begin the season, but Stephenson's impressive performance should put him in the mix for more work behind the plate.

Stephenson was added to the 30-man roster Sunday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 23-year-old will take the roster spot of Mike Moustakas (illness), who was placed on the injured list Sunday. Tucker Barnhart (paternity) is away from the team, but Stephenson is still unlikely to see significant opportunities with Curt Casali and Kyle Farmer still on the roster.

Stephenson will be a part of the Reds' 60-man player pool this season.

EDGE Analysis

While Stephenson is on the 40-man roster and viewed as the team's catcher of the future, he is unlikely to see a major role in 2020. Tucker Barnhart, Curt Casali and Kyle Farmer are the only catchers who will be training at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds optioned Stephenson to Triple-A Louisville on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Cincinnati's top catching prospect wasn't a serious threat to crack the Opening Day roster with all of Tucker Barnhart, Curt Casali and Kyle Farmer ahead of him in the organizational pecking order. The 2015 first-round pick will likely spend the majority of the season at Louisville honing his receiving skills, but Stephenson could get a look in the majors at some point if the Reds are eager to phase out Barnhart in favor of a higher-upside offensive option behind the dish.

Stephenson went 2-for-2 with a homer, double, walk and four RBI in Thursday's spring training win over the Diamondbacks.

EDGE Analysis

Stephenson finally put together a healthy minor league season in 2019 and followed that up with a nice campaign in the Arizona Fall League. He's expected to begin the year in Triple-A Louisville, but if Tucker Barnhart continues to falter at the plate, there's a window for Stephenson to get a chance to take over the job by the summer.

Stephenson was added to the Reds' 40-man roster Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

This move was a lock on the final day to protect prospects from the Rule 5 draft. Stephenson is clearly the catcher of the future in Cincinnati, but he will need to head to Triple-A for at least a month or two before making his big-league debut. He hit .285/.372/.410 with a 10.2 percent walk rate, 16.5 percent strikeout rate and six home runs in 89 games at Double-A and made up for lost time with 13 games in the Arizona Fall League. Stephenson has big raw power and is patient at the dish, which will hopefully make up for the fact that he isn't the greatest defensive catcher.

Stephenson has been assigned to Double-A Pensacola to begin the 2019 season.

EDGE Analysis

Stephenson was the Reds' first-round pick in 2015 and has battled a slew of injuries in his professional career. He was able to make through most of 2018 unscathed however, hitting .250/.338/.392 in 109 games at High-A Daytona.

Stephenson went 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs and five RBI for High-A Daytona in its 9-6 win over Bradenton on Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

The hit and RBI totals matched career highs for the 21-year-old backstop, who is now slashing .282/.361/.451 across 391 plate appearances on the season. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Stephenson is quite large for a catcher, but his big frame hasn't hindered him too much defensively thus far in his development. The Reds will continue to bring the 2015 first-round pick through the system slowly and likely won't prepare him for a role with the big club until 2020.