Reds must admit fault and undo their most egregious Opening Day roster decision

There was a time earlier this season when keeping Spencer Steer on the Cincinnati Reds active roster was more of a necessity than anything else. The Reds were blindsided by an injury to outfielder Austin Hays before Opening Day, and then Matt McLain suffered a hamstring injury barely a week into the 2025 campaign.

The team was already without starting catcher Tyler Stephenson, and hitting was at a premium. At less than 100%, Steer would be better than almost anyone else the Reds could trot out there, right? That may have been the sentiment at the time, but after seeing Steer stumble out of the gate, it's time for the Reds' front office and coaching staff to admit their mistake.

There was a contingent of Reds fans who believed that Steer would be placed on the injured list in order to activate one of McLain or Hays on Tuesday, but instead Cincinnati optioned Jacob Hurtubise and Noelvi Marte back to the minor leagues. While those actions weren't necessarily wrong, it's time for the Reds to make one more roster move and place Steer on the IL until he's fully healed from his shoulder injury.

Reds must undo their most egregious Opening Day roster decision and place Spencer Steer on the injured list

Steer has displayed the type of grit and toughness that fans in Cincinnati love to see. Playing hurt will always endear you to the blue-collar attitude that permeates through the Queen City. But Steer's not helping the team at this point. In fact, he's doing the exact opposite.

While Steer and the coaching staff maintain that there's no structural damage to his right shoulder and that he's pain-free while swinging the bat, his inability to play the field severely limits the Reds lineup. Furthermore, with Hays and McLain returning from the IL, Francona claimed he may have to manage how often (and where) they play over the next week. Fans saw that on Tuesday when Hays was the Reds' DH and Steer was out of the lineup.

Steer has made progress in his rehab, and is scheduled to increase this throwing program in the coming days. But at the moment, he's a liability at the plate — hitting .109/.180/.217 with 12 strikeouts — and can't play defense.

The Reds should place Steer on the IL, and recall a player like Marte or Tyler Callihan, or select Ivan Johnson's contract from Triple-A. In the meantime, Steer can continue his rehab (while in Cincinnati with the team), and once deemed fully-healthy, can slot right back into his spot in the lineup. But until then, it's time for Steer to take one for the team and accept a placement on the IL for the first time in his career.

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