Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand had a big day in his team's Wednesday doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox. After picking up just one hit in the first game, a Reds loss, Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-5 with a grand slam in the nightcap to help lead Cincinnati to an 8-4 win. Encarnacion-Strand's grand slam was a clutch one as it erased a 3-0 Red Sox lead in the seventh inning. The veteran is now hitting .206 with six homers, 13 runs, and 19 RBI across 126 at-bats this season. He will need to hit more consistently to be considered a fantasy option going forward.

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (foot) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Boston Red Sox. This is basically a doubleheader for the two teams who resumed play of a suspended game earlier in the day. During that game, Encarnacion-Strand fouled a ball off his foot which resulted in him exiting the contest. As a result, the Reds are going to play it safe and hold him out of the second game. It's unclear if Encarnacion-Strand will require additional testing, but for now fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day. Spencer Steer and Santiago Espinal will cover the corner infield spot on Wednesday night.

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand is absent from the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the visiting San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park. Santiago Espinal is starting at the hot corner and will bat ninth against Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez. Since returning from the injured list on June 6 due to a back injury, Encarnacion-Strand has gone 13-for-54 (.241) with three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI and six runs scored. The 25-year-old former fourth-rounder by the Minnesota Twins in 2021 out of Oklahoma State has plenty of power as a corner infielder in deep-mixed leagues, but he's hitting just .198 (22-for-111) with five home runs, 15 RBI and 10 runs scored in 2025. Espinal is still searching for his first long ball on the year and has never faced Vasquez in his career. DFS managers should avoid him in the nine-hole on Saturday.

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson and first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand are out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Stephenson will take a seat after starting in four of the last five games, in which four of them were behind the plate. Jose Trevino will take over behind the plate and bat sixth versus right-hander Bailey Ober. Spencer Steer and Santiago Espinal will cover the corner infield spots with Encarnacion-Strand getting a rest day after going 0-for-8 over his last two games. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly with these two sitting out.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand swatted another home run Sunday in a 4-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Encarnacion-Strand has homered in three consecutive games since returning Friday from a back injury that had shelved him since mid-April. He belted a 403-foot solo blast against Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen on Sunday to highlight a 2-for-3, one-walk performance. The powerful Encarnacion-Strand has gone a sizzling 7-for-13 with three HRs, a double, and six RBI since coming off the injured list. He now has five HRs and 11 RBI in just 74 plate appearances this year, but he's hitting an unspectacular .229/.257/.486 with 15 strikeouts and two walks. The Reds have batted the 25-year-old either fourth or fifth in all three games since he came back, though, and he has repaid them with dazzling production.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand put together a strong performance at the plate during Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This was his first action since landing on the injured list in mid April due to a back issue. He was solid at the plate as he went 2-for-5 which included a three-run home run in the blowout win over the D-Backs. There is plenty of power upside here, assuming Encarnacion-Strand continues to see consistent playing time. He's worth a look in deep leagues and could see his value grow.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Friday that they activated infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) from the 10-day injured list and designated catcher Austin Wynns for assignment in a corresponding move. Encarnacion-Strand is returning for the first time since being placed on the IL back on April 17 with lower-back inflammation. It's unclear yet if the 25-year-old will be in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks, but he'll be an option at third base, first base and designated hitter for the Reds now that he's back. He was hitting just .158 (9-for-57) with two homers and 13 strikeouts in 15 games before his injury, and he just hasn't been the same since fracturing his right wrist in 2024. When Encarnacion-Strand is right, he has high-end power upside for fantasy managers.

The Cincinnati Reds announced that infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) is starting a minor-league rehab assignment on Thursday at the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. Encarnacion-Strand is finally ready to resume playing in games after originally being placed on the injured list on April 17 with inflammation in his lower back. It's unclear exactly how long the 25-year-old will play in rehab games in the minor leagues, but barring a flare-up with his back, it's possible that he could be back on the Reds' active big-league roster by next weekend. CES was Cincy's primary first baseman early in the season before his injury, but he hit just .158 (9-for-57) with two homers, five RBI and four runs scored before getting hurt. Since he's been out, Spencer Steer has held down the fort at the hot corner, so it's unclear how much playing time will be available to Encarnacion-Strand when he's ready to return.

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) is doing really well, and his next step in the rehab process will be playing games in Arizona. Encarnacion-Strand is likely to start out in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League before eventually moving to higher levels of the minors. The 25-year-old needed multiple rounds of epidural injections for his back inflammation, but he has been doing baseball activities and improving since then. The Reds haven't given a specific timetable for CES to return from his injury, but barring a setback during his rehab assignment, he could be ready to return from the injured list near the end of this month. He was hitting just .158 (9-for-57) with two home runs and five RBI at the time of his injury, though, so it's unclear what kind of role he'll have in the big leagues when he's fully healthy again.

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said that corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) could start ramping up his baseball activities next week. Encarnacion-Strand is "continuing to take steps" and has been moving around and working out. The 25-year-old took swings off a tee in late April and is now on the verge of ramping up his rehab as he recovers from lower-back inflammation that landed him on the 10-day injured list. He was given an epidural injection along the way to help treat the inflammation in his back. With both Jeimer Candelario (back) and Noelvi Marte (oblique) facing extended absences, it's possible that CES is the first of Cincy's injured infielders to return, potentially in late May. Encarnacion was hitting just .158/.183/.298 with two homers and five RBI in his first 57 at-bats, but he should play regularly whenever he's able to return at either first, third or designated hitter.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Thursday that they placed infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) on the 10-day injured list with lower-back inflammation and recalled infielder Noelvi Marte from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. With Encarnacion out, Jeimer Candelario will move to first base and Santiago Espinal will start at the hot corner on Thursday against the visiting Seattle Mariners. Although Encarnacion-Strand had an RBI double on Wednesday, he started the season going 9-for-57 (.158) with two home runs, five RBI and 13 strikeouts in 15 games played. Hopefully, he'll look better when he gets over his back injury, but it's unclear if he'll have a short stay on the IL. Espinal figures to benefit the most from a playing-time perspective at third base, but Marte could share starts with him at the hot corner.UPDATE: CEH will receive an epidural injection to calm his back down.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Thursday that they placed infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back) on the 10-day injured list with lower-back inflammation and recalled infielder Noelvi Marte from Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. With Encarnacion out, Jeimer Candelario will move to first base and Santiago Espinal will start at the hot corner on Thursday against the visiting Seattle Mariners. Although Encarnacion-Strand had an RBI double on Wednesday, he started the season going 9-for-57 (.158) with two home runs, five RBI and 13 strikeouts in 15 games played. Hopefully, he'll look better when he gets over his back injury, but it's unclear if he'll have a short stay on the IL. Espinal figures to benefit the most from a playing-time perspective at third base, but Marte could share starts with him at the hot corner.UPDATE: CEH will receive an epidural injection to calm his back down.

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back, hamstring) is back in the starting lineup on Tuesday against the visiting Seattle Mariners, starting at first base and batting seventh against right-hander Luis Castillo at Great American Ball Park. The Reds held Encarnacion-Strand out of action the last two games with minor back and hamstring injuries, but he's ready to go now. The 25-year-old hasn't been a reliable fantasy asset in the early going in 2025, batting .163 (8-for-49) with two home runs, a double, three RBI, three runs scored, one walk and 12 strikeouts in 13 games played. With Austin Hays back, he might need to start picking it up at the plate to continue seeing everyday playing time with the Reds. CEH has never faced Castillo in his career.

According to Charles Goldsmith of Cincinnati Magazine, manager Terry Francona said Reds corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back/hamstring) might get a few days off in a row. He said, "CES is banged up (back/hamstring, which he dealt with in 2023), but he should be available off the bench, and it will be good to get him a few stacked days off." The injuries seem minor, considering he is not being placed on the injured list immediately. Encarnacion-Strand has gotten off to a sluggish start to his 2025 campaign, slashing .163/.192/.306 with only two home runs. In his absence, expect Noelvi Marte to occupy third base and continue to see more at-bats while Encarnacion-Strand sits for the next few days.

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) is starting at first base and batting sixth on Wednesday against the visiting Texas Rangers and right-hander Jack Leiter at Great American Ball Park. Encarnacion-Strand was hit by a pitch on his right hand in Monday's game against Texas and didn't play on Tuesday. However, the 25-year-old is back in there for the series finale and will face a young hurler who looked much better in his first start of the 2025 season after struggling in his rookie year in 2024. He has never faced Leiter and will come into Wednesday's game carrying a .286 (4-for-14) early-season batting average with a home run, double, RBI, two runs scored, one walk and four strikeouts in his first four games of the year. Power is CES's primary calling card, and he should play regularly for Cincy as long as he's healthy.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand) is not in the lineup for Tuesday's matchup against the Rangers. The right-handed slugger was hit by a pitch on the right hand in Monday's game and had to be removed from the contest. The X-rays on his hand came back negative, however, it appears the Reds will give him a day off anyway; he is considered day-to-day. Jeimer Candelario will take over at first for Cincinnati while Santiago Espinal will man third against the Rangers' Nathan Eovaldi. Candelario is 2-for-7 with a 1:3 BB:K against the veteran righty, and Espinal is 1-for-9 with a 0:3 BB:K. Candelario, who is batting fifth, carries a much higher barrel rate in his career compared to Espinal, who is batting sixth, so the switch-hitting Candelario may be the better option in DFS formats.

According to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, Cincinnati Reds infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand is expected to see time at third base during spring training. Last season, the 25-year-old was only able to appear in 29 contests due to hand and wrist injuries. During this limited stint, he was unproductive and posted an underwhelming .190/.220/.292 slash line with just two home runs. During the 2023 season, Encarnacion-Strand posted a .270/.328/.477 line with 13 long balls during his first 63 games of MLB action. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Encarnacion-Strand's progression during spring training, as the team will explore other ways to keep him in the lineup. However, he has primarily played first base during his time in the major leagues. Given the power upside he showed as a rookie, he could be worth a look as a high-upside pick late in fantasy drafts if he performs well in spring training.

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand was activated off the 60-day IL on Monday. With Encarnacion-Strand playing in the Arizona Fall League, he was initially on a rehab assignment but with it expiring he needed to be put back on the active roster as he continues to play in the AFL. The 24-year-old hit 32 home runs in 2022 in the minors, then hit another 33 between Triple-A and the majors in 2023, but was limited to just 29 games this season due to a wrist injury that eventually required surgery. Hopefully he can get back on track during the fall and will be ready to fortify the Reds lineup in 2025. Unfortunately for Amed Rosario, the veteran utility player was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Despite hitting .307 in 76 games to start the season for the Rays, Rosario was acquired by the Dodgers and then by the Reds, now having played for five different teams since 2020. The 28-year-old will be a free agent heading into the offseason.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand), Matt McLain (shoulder) and Edwin Arroyo (shoulder) will play in the Arizona Fall League, which began play on Monday. Both McLain and Arroyo missed all of 2024 after suffering shoulder injuries. McLain also dealt with a stress reaction in his rib cage. He is slated to play shortstop, second base and center field in the AFL, and he could also play in the outfield. If fully healthy in 2025, McLain is expected to mostly see time at second in Cincinnati. Encarnacion-Strand was limited to 29 games before suffering a season-ending hand injury in June that required surgery. He will be available to play first and third base in the AFL and could also see action in the outfield. The 24-year-old will need to prove himself in spring training in order to find consistent playing time to open the 2025 campaign.

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (wrist), who is out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery back in the middle of July to fix ligaments in his fractured right wrist, has resumed baseball activities, according to manager David Bell. Encarnacion-Strand will have all offseason to rehab his injured wrist and should have plenty of time to get back to 100 percent before the start of spring training next February. It was a disappointing season for anyone that drafted the 24-year-old power-hitting right-hander in 2024, and not just because of his serious injury. The former fourth-rounder by the Minnesota Twins in 2021 out of Oklahoma State hit just .190 (22-for-116) with two home runs, 16 RBI and 13 runs scored in 29 games before getting hurt. Barring a setback with his wrist, CES should be a starter for Cincy in 2025.