Reds' Robert Stephenson: Optioned to minors

Stephenson was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic Cincinnati reports.

Stephenson opened spring training with a good shot to win one of the final spots in the Reds' rotation, however his lackluster spring performance prompted Cincinnati to send him back to the minors for some more seasoning instead. The former first-round pick, who finished the 2017 season with a 2.50 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across his final 50.1 innings, should be back with the Reds at some point in 2018.