Reds News: Christian Encarnacion-Strand injury update, Jake Fraley, outfielder DFA'd

Reds fans are in danger of losing all hope for a winning-season. Their team fell to a season-worst 10 games below .500 and are sitting in the bottom of the NL Central with little relief in sight.

Next up for the Cincinnati Reds is the team that just beat them three out of four games last week — the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts will bring their 33-19 record into Cincinnati this weekend, as the Reds are hoping to win their first series in nine tries with a three-game set on tap at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds saw another player hit the injured list week in what's become a defining aspect of the team's 2024 campaign. Emilio Pagán was the latest victim of the injury bug and will miss at least the next two weeks with a triceps injury. But the Reds did get a bit of good information on the injury front earlier this week,

Reds News: Christian Encarnacion-Strand injury update

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who was placed on the 10-day IL after being hit-by-pitch during the team's recent roadtrip, was observed fielding groundballs this past week upon the Reds' return to GABP.

Encarnacion-Strand is to be reevaluated on June 5th, and if everything checks out, the team is hopeful that a rehab assignment will follow. With Encarnacion-Strand out of action, Cincinnati has relied on a combination of Jeimer Candelario and Spencer Steer at first base.

Reds News: Jake Fraley pinch hit after HBP

Jake Fraley was hit by a pitch during the Reds' game this past Tuesday against the San Diego Padres. A frustrated Fraley saw his hand swell and was forced to leave the game. Many Reds fans will remember that moment, as shortly afterward is when manager David Bell decided to destroy a chair in the dugout.

But Fraley, who didn't start the final two games for the Reds during their series against the Padres, came on as a pinch runner in during Thursday's game. This is likely a good sign that Fraley will soon be back in Cincinnati's starting lineup, but fans should not expect to see him there tonight against Dodgers' left-hander James Paxton.

Reds News: Bubba Thompson DFA'd

When the Reds placed Pagán on the 15-day IL, the team selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Brett Kennedy to take his place. With Kennedy not part of the Reds 40-man roster, the club had to make a corresponding move. Unfortunately for Bubba Thompson, he was designated for assignment.

The Reds now have a short window to trade Thompson or release him. Based on his track record, it's quite likely the speedster will enter free agency and hope to latch on with another club in the coming weeks. Thompson was recently optioned to Double-A Chattanooga and served as little more than a pinch-runner late in games.

More Cincinnati Reds News from Blog Red Machine