These 2 Reds prospects will debut before Christian Encarnacion-Strand

Cincinnati Rans fans are patiently waiting to see the of one of their top prospects, Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Encarnacion-Strand has put it all on display, and many fans would suggest that the slugger has little left to prove at Triple-A.

But Encarnacion-Strand's eventual promotion to the bigs doesn't necessarily fit what this Reds team needs at this point in time.

Cincinnati's infield is already a jumbled mess, and that's with Elly De La Cruz still swinging away in the minors. Six-time All-Star Joey Votto, who's still rehabbing from shoulder and biceps surgery, is also destined to make a return sometime in 2023.

These 2 Reds prospects will debut before Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

While Christian Encarnacion-Strand will surely receive a big-league promotion this year, it's only going to happen when the team can offer him consistent at-bats. Look for the Cincinnati Reds to call up starting pitcher Andrew Abbott and outfielder TJ Hopkins before Encarnacion-Strand this season.

Abbott has looked virtually un-hittable in Double-A and was quickly promoted to Triple-A Louisville after just three starts with the Lookouts.

With the health of Nick Lodolo in question, Abbott may only make a few more starts with the Louisville Bats before making his major league debut. At the moment, Andrew Abbott fills a bigger need than Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

The biggest need for the Reds at the moment is not the infield, but the outfield. Cincinnati is currently suiting infielders up and having them play the outfield, and there's a lot of whispers about players like Jonathan India, Spencer Steer, or Elly De La Cruz changing positions moving off the dirt and onto the grass.

Wil Myers has been incredibly underwhelming, and Jake Fraley has been pretty close to unplayable against left-handed pitching. The Reds can fix these problems by adding T.J. Hopkins to the active roster. Hopkins burst onto the scene last season and is currently hitting above .340 at Triple-A Louisville.

While Christian Encarnacion-Strand has played well, based on the way the Cincinnati Reds roster is currently constructed, the big league club is in need of help in the outfield and pitching more than another infielder.