Reds Veteran Taking Reps at New Position

Cincinnati Reds veteran Spencer Steer was taking groundballs ahead of Tuesday's game against the Pirates, according to Charlie Goldsmith.

After not having played third base since 2023, Steer played the 11th inning at third base in Saturday's win over the Boston Red Sox.

Reds manager Terry Francona showed his confidence in Spencer Steer by going to Nathaniel Lowe off the bench, fully aware it would force Steer to slide over to third base for the 11th inning.

"Freddie and I kind of walked through every scenario," Francona said. "We are trying to be as good as we can defensively, and if we didn't get to Sal, we weren't going to hit for him. We were going to just take Steer out of the game....We had to check with Steer first. Not surprisingly, he said 'I'm fine.' Freddie looked at me and said 'he's a baseball player.' I made sure I grabbed Spencer off the field because that to me, even before the game was over, I was like we're alright."

Not a lot of players would be willing to play a position live in a game for the first time in three years, but that is the kind of teammate Steer is. He takes pride in being able to play anywhere on the field.

“I see myself as a guy who’s athletic enough to move around the diamond, and I think that’s where I bring my value: the ability to play multiple positions,” Steer told Gordon Wittenmyer of The Enquirer.

Since being called up to the majors in 2022, Steer has played first base, second base, third base, shortstop, left field, and right field.

“I like being the guy they trust to kind of bounce around so they can play matchups.”

While Steer likely won't see a ton of time at third base, he's making sure he is prepared so the Reds can be flexible in end-of-game scenarios.

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