ST. LOUIS –– On April 5, 2019, Cincinnati Reds catching prospect Chris Okey made his Triple-A debut with the Louisville Bats.
Okey was the Reds’ second round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft after starting at Clemson, and it only took him three years to reach Triple-A. In that game on April 5, Phil Ervin, Aristides Aquino and Brian O’Grady were starting in the field for the Bats. Lucas Sims was the starting pitcher and threw three innings.
Those players all spent time in MLB over the next few years. But three years later, Okey was still in Triple-A.
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Okey was sitting in the Bats’ clubhouse on Thursday when manager Pat Kelly told him he was finally going to the big leagues. On Friday, Okey made his MLB debut after entering the game in the eighth inning, and he was in the Reds starting lineup on Saturday.
“It’s definitely a tough grind,” Okey said. “It’s tougher for others and easier for others. Some guys do their thing and get right up there. For some guys, it takes a little more time. The end goal is always the same. It’s definitely an honor to be here.”
Okey was in the same draft class as Nick Senzel, Taylor Trammell, Ryan Hendrix and Joel Kuhnel. In 2019, Okey hit .209 in the minors. After the 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic, Okey hit .237 with 13 total extra-base hits as the Bats’ backup behind Beau Taylor.
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For most of the 2022 season, Okey could have been considered the third-string catcher for the Bats behind 10-year MLB veteran Sandy Leon and prospect Mark Kolozsvary. But then Okey started hitting at a career-best level.
“People throughout our organization are thrilled for (Okey) because it just hasn’t been easy,” Reds manager David Bell said. “He has earned every bit of this chance to be here.”
Okey didn’t make a swing change, and he credited his success to sticking with the approach he believed in. Among the three Bats’ catchers, Okey was the best hitter this season with a career-best .265 batting average. He hit for the cycle last week and has increased his power numbers across the season.
“I’m more consistent with everything and developing everything that you possibly can all around,” Okey said. “I’m trusting myself more. I’m not getting away from it when things go bad.”
With the Reds, Okey will back up Aramis Garcia and start every few days. Starting catcher Tyler Stephenson is out for four-to-six weeks with a broken right thumb, so the Reds needed to call up a catcher.
Bell said his first question to the Reds’ player development staff was about how well Okey was handling the Reds minor league pitchers. Okey has caught Hunter Greene and Graham Ashcraft before, which left a strong positive impression.
“He’s just a great guy in general, and he has an amazing sense of humor and the ability to always keep guys laughing in the clubhouse,” Ashcraft said. “That’s on top of him being able to call a really good game and being really good defensively."
INJURY UPDATES: Reds’ designated hitter Mike Moustakas has been on the COVID IL since June 6 as he deals with an illness, and Bell said Moustakas could return on Monday when the Reds start the series in Arizona.
Utility player Max Schrock was scheduled to play nine innings on Saturday night with the Bats, and there’s a chance his next move could be to the Reds’ active roster. He has missed the first two months of the season with a calf injury.
“He could be a couple, a few days away from joining our team,” Bell said. “It’s still one day at a time to make sure he’s ready.”
THEY’RE BACK: Reds center fielder Nick Senzel (back) and right fielder Albert Almora Jr. (shoulder) missed Friday’s game due to injury, but they returned to the lineup on Saturday.
With two starting outfielders back, the Reds took another step closer to getting their normal starting lineup back on the field. As Jonathan India, Max Schrock and Donovan Solano continue their rehab assignments, the Reds are on the verge of getting a few more potential starters back on the team.
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