The Reds announced that outfielder Jake Fraley has been activated from the 10-day injured list. In a notable corresponding move, infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been optioned to Triple-A.
Fraley last played in a big league game on June 23, when he suffered a partial tear in his right labrum. This is the latest in a series of shoulder issues that have bothered Fraley for a few years, and he received a cortisone shot in an attempt to play through the pain and hold off a potential surgery until after the season.
Time will tell if this gutsy approach will be successful, though Fraley’s numbers have declined over the last two seasons (he has hit .263/.330/.383 over 527 plate appearances since Opening Day 2024) as he has been dealing with multiple other injuries. A calf strain sent Fraley to the IL for another stint earlier this season, and he missed time with a knee sprain in 2024.
The left-handed hitting Fraley figures to supplant Will Benson in the outfield mix, and between Fraley, Benson, TJ Friedl, and Gavin Lux, Cincinnati is a little overloaded with lefty-swinging outfield options. Austin Hays is a right-handed bat that has been getting time in both left field and at DH, in a nod to Hays’ multiple IL stints this year. As the Reds remain in the NL wild card hunt, a righty bat seems like an obvious need if the club is still in position to buy when the July 31 trade deadline roll around.
Encarnacion-Strand hit .270/.328/.477 with 13 home runs over 241 plate appearances in his rookie season, as he was one of many young position players that burst onto the scene for the 2023 Reds. After tearing up minor league pitching en route to this impressive debut showing in the majors, it looked like CES was going to make himself a fixture in the Cincinnati lineup.
Unfortunately, Encarnacion-Strand has since sputtered to hit only .199/.227/.337 over 260 PA, as he missed most of the 2024 season recovering from surgery to fix a wrist fracture. Back problems returned him to the IL in April and he didn’t return to the big leagues until early June, with Reds manager Terry Francona intimating that the club was viewing CES’ rehab assignment as a way for the 25-year-old to get on track the plate.
However, the results haven’t been much better since Encarnacion-Strand was activated, so he’ll now head back to Triple-A Louisville. A 1.048 OPS over 359 career Triple-A PA indicates that Encarnacion-Strand doesn’t have much more to prove in the minors, yet the Reds can’t afford to give CES more time to find himself in the big leagues when the club is trying to fight its way deeper into the playoff picture.
Reds will steer in another direction
🤦🏻♂️
Time for Strand to get to new team to have a chance to play, change of scenery. New Reds manager Tito, not giving Strand opportunity… He needs to find the right team…
Reminds me of when he played through a bad foot injury in August 2023 and did absolutely nothing for the rest of the season and followed up with a poor season in 2024. Love the guy’s grit but he’s cooked.
Agreed. You need to make logical decisions as a GM type, not emotional ones.
The Reds have hurt at both outfield corners for a couple years now.
I really like Encarnacion-Strand but think he needs a change of scenery and can be a 35 HR Designated Hitter for someone.
Maybe they should trade him for Scott Rolen
I agree. I think they’ll likely package him in a deadline deal to a team like NYY or BOS who really have no 1B
Nothing this management does would surprise me.
Solaris – The Yanks are jammed with playing time as it is, especially at 1B and DH with Goldschmidt, Rice, and Stanton (with Judge off days from RF). How do they have no 1B?
But he is in the perfect ballpark for his skillset.
Chases Balls and stares down Strikes over the heart of the plate. Will occasionally bust a cookie into crumbs, but what we’ve seen so far is the real CES.
I’m thinking send CES and Connor Phillips to Boston for Jaren Duran.
I feel like it’d probably take another piece from the reds but I’d do that
Ha! Duran has put up 10.7 bWAR since last year and has 3.5 years of control. Add Burns and Petty and it might get done.
Ha both of those offers are ridiculous
lmao
Useful players generally cost more than a teams spare parts. Duran would likely cost at least one top five prospect to be the center piece.
Keep thinking.
I’d rather have abreu
Phillips and Arroyo for Duran
RSox might toss in that pitcher too, what’s his name, oh yes Babe Ruth.
Zero chance CES/Petty nets Duran…
I wonder what would take CES to have a sustained success in the majors🤷🏽
Stop chasing at a 44% clip.
Injury free playing time
Wouldn’t be too surprised if he’s a Brent rooker, Nelson Cruz, Edwin of the same name, Justin Turner late bloomer/right situation/team DUDE
The sooner all these idol worshippers realize their do nothing offseasons are so they have an excuse to get rid of contracts at the deadline, the better off they’ll be.
The sad thing is, these kids play as hard as they can with the obvious holes on the roster. It will be sad to see them all gone in a couple of years like the previous two groups they broke up.
#SelltheteamBob
#Thesekidsdeservebetter