Reds infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand will have wrist surgery on July 11, with a three-month recovery timeline. If that timeline holds, he won’t be able to return during the regular season. Manager David Bell relayed the information to reporters on Tuesday, with Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer among those to pass it along. X link one and two.
It’s been a frustrating and unusual saga for Encarnacion-Strand. Back at the end of April, he was hit on the hand by a pitch, and X-rays were negative but revealed a small pre-existing fracture. The infielder said he didn’t know how that came about and wasn’t in any discomfort before being hit by that pitch.
He was placed on the injured list about a week later, with the club describing his ailment as a right ulnar styloid fracture. Just over a week ago, Bell revealed that surgery was being considered, and it now seems that it has been deemed necessary. Given the three-month recovery timeline, Encarnacion-Strand won’t be able to return this year unless the club makes the playoffs and survives through the middle of October. Even if that does come to pass, it will be a challenge for him to get back into game shape and earn his way onto the roster, so it seems there’s a decent chance his 2024 is effectively done.
That’s a very frustrating blow for Encarnacion-Strand and the club. A highly touted prospect, he debuted with a splash last year by hitting 13 home runs in his first 63 major league games. He slashed .270/.328/.477 overall for a wRC+ of 112.
He was undoubtedly hoping to build off that with a healthy and productive showing in his first full season, but it hasn’t come to pass. He hit just .190/.220/.293 in his 29 games this year, and that will almost certainly be his final line when the year is over. He’s already on the 60-day injured list and is now slated to stay there for the rest of the campaign.
For the team, this just adds to their players' missed opportunities this year. Noelvi Marté was hit with an 80-game PED suspension and has missed the entire season thus far. Injuries have plagued Matt McLain, TJ Friedl and various pitchers on their staff, leaving the club fairly hampered all year.
Their season is still alive, thanks to the weak National League wild-card race. The Reds are just 37-41, but only 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. That’s somewhat encouraging, but it also leads to plenty of “what if” questions amid all the various issues the club has dealt with.
Encarnacion-Strand was the everyday first baseman before landing on the injured list, but that job has primarily fallen to Spencer Steer in recent months. Marté could return soon to factor into the third base mix, which may sometimes lead to Jeimer Candelario moving over to first base. That could push Steer into a corner outfield role, where Will Benson and Jake Fraley are having underwhelming seasons.
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