Reds prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand should be called up before Joey Votto returns

The Cincinnati Reds have been struggling to find consistent production at first base this season. Joey Votto, the team's longtime star at the position, has been out since Opening Day while recovering from surgery he underwent back in August.

In his absence, the Reds have turned to a rotating cast of players (Spencer Steer, Jason Vosler, and Wil Myers) to fill the void, but none have been able to replicate the offensive impact that Votto is known for.

Enter Christian Encarnacion-Strand. The 23-year-old first baseman has been tearing it up at Triple-A Louisville this season, putting up a .341/.371/.706 slash line with nine home runs and 18 RBIs in just 19 games.

Reds prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand should be called up before Joey Votto returns.

Given the Cincinnati Reds struggles at first base and Christian Encarnacion-Strand's impressive performance in the minors, it's time for the team to give him a shot at the big leagues. In fact, he should be called up before Joey Votto returns from his injury.

Votto is 39 years old and has been in decline for several years now. While Votto's still a solid player, his best days are behind him. The Reds need to start thinking about the future of the position, and Encarnacion-Strand could be a big part of that future.

By calling up Encarnacion-Strand now, the Reds would be able to evaluate the slugger against major league pitching and see if he's ready to take over the position full-time moving into the future. If Encarnacion-Strand struggles, the club can always send him back down to the minors and continue to rotate players at first base until Votto returns.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been one of the best hitters in the minor leagues this season and could be a big part of the team's future at first base. With Joey Votto now on the 60-day IL the Reds can get a few weeks out of Encarnacion-Strand before the former NL MVP returns.