Okey more than OK after memorable callup

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon's Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full issue, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

I’ve documented in this space before that it’s always fun seeing a new big league player arrive for his first promotion. With Tyler Stephenson breaking his right thumb on Thursday and missing four to six weeks, catcher Chris Okey got his opportunity, as he was called up from Triple-A Louisville on Friday to back up Aramis Garcia. He debuted defensively on Friday and made his first start on Saturday.

Okey was a second-round pick by the Reds in 2016 out of Clemson University, and he’s been a fixture at big league camp in past Spring Trainings. But his wait to get the call took a long time.

Louisville manager Pat Kelly often makes the reveal of a callup a memorable moment, and he did so for Okey in an emotional moment right after Louisville’s game Thursday.

I asked Okey about that and more.

MLB.com: How did you find out?

Chris Okey: PK called a team meeting. He was coming in from another room, and I sat down. He kind of was going through things. He was trying to find a microphone in the locker room. He said if I had the mic, I’d drop it right now because I’m going to the big leagues. It was a very special moment and definitely very joyful.

MLB.com: You’ve waited a long time, what did it mean?

Okey: It definitely means a lot. Patience and everything, a lot of guys go through it. It was definitely very exciting to get here.

MLB.com: More than your track record, you’ve been hitting well this year. What helped you?

Okey: I just believed in my approach, stayed with my approach and was not changing things when it went bad. I stayed within myself day in and day out. I tried to make things as simple as possible.

MLB.com: On June 4, you hit for the cycle. What was that like?

Okey: It was a lot of fun. Definitely my teammates made that experience that much better. We have a great locker room. It was a cool experience and something cool to build off of.

MLB.com: The last hit for the cycle was a double. How difficult was it?

Okey: I actually put a good swing on the ball, and it was relatively easy to get in there. They gave me a pitch I could hit, and it went to the right spot.