This was originally published in The Athletic....

Robert Stephenson’s return to the big leagues didn’t go as hoped. Not for him, not for his team, and not for anyone longing to see if the Reds’ 2011 first-round draft pick could finally figure out a way to stay.

Against the Mets in Flushing, Stephenson’s first Reds start since last Sept. 29 lasted just four innings. His stat line was like the road team’s 8-0 getaway day loss itself: Mostly forgettable – three runs, three hits and four strikeouts in 76 pitches – but it is the five walks allowed that stand out, because Stephenson walks a lot of guys.

The bothersome thing about Robert Stephenson’s return isn’t that he pitched poorly or even really that he struggled with his control; it’s that he seems genuinely disinterested in fixing the problem.

To read more, go to The Athletic.

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