Christian Encarnacion-Strand Fantasy Stats

The Cincinnati Reds announced that they have optioned infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand to Triple-A Louisville to make room on the active roster for outfielder Jake Fraley (shoulder), who is returning from the 10-day injured list on Saturday. The Reds haven't really been able to keep Encarnacion-Strand's struggling bat in their lineup regularly, so he'll head down to the farm just before the All-Star break to work on his approach. The 25-year-old right-handed slugger just has not been what the Reds were hoping for as a potential replacement for Joey Votto at first base, and he gets demoted after slashing .208/.234/.377 with a .610 OPS and only six home runs in his 130 at-bats this year. CES also dealt with a back injury earlier this season that slowed his production. He should be back in Cincy at some point in the second half, but he won't be guaranteed regular playing time.

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.