Reds must make smart (but unpopular) Spencer Steer decision regardless of injury diagnosis

Spencer Steer is scheduled to have his right wrist re-evaluated on Saturday. The Cincinnati Reds super utility player suffered the injury late last month and has been wearing a protective splint on his right arm for the last few weeks.

While the injury itself has been referred to as a sprain, it goes a little deeper than that. More specifically Steer suffered a partial tear of the tendon sheath in his right wrist. Ouch!

Given the Reds' recent run of success, or lack thereof, with wrist injuries in the past — namely Christian Encarnacion-Strand in 2024 and Cam Collier in 2025 — the best course of action would be to shut Steer down for the remainder of the season regardless of what the scans reveal.

Spencer Steer has little reason to return to the Reds roster this season

The Reds have less than a 1% chance to make the playoffs this season. They're about to enter the toughest stretch of their season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, and Milwaukee Brewers all on the docket. And frankly, giving Steer's reps to a youngster like Edwin Arroyo or Héctor Rodríguez will be far more valuable in the long run.

Steer is a fan-favorite and a competitor. He wants to be on the field, and the fans want to see him out there. But there comes a point when the organization has to step in and protect the player from himself. The Reds did not do that with Elly De La Cruz last season, and his production suffered as a result.

Steer is under team control for two more seasons. Given how poorly the Reds' lineup has performed over the last few weeks, the idea of trading him looks even crazier than it did before the August 3 deadline. He could be a valuable piece of the Reds roster in 2027 and 2028, and there's no need to risk further injury in what's become a lost season.

While every player is different, Encarnacion-Strand suffered a wrist injury in 2024 and though he's found some success with the Baltimore Orioles in recent weeks, was never the same after that injury. Collier, one of the Reds top prospects, underwent wrist surgery last spring, and he's struggled to regain his power. Given those two examples, why would the Reds even think about rushing Steer back?

All of this discourse could be for naught. There's a possibility that Steer's test results will reveal that rehab alone won't do it, and he'll need surgery to correct the problem.

The Reds have taken the conservative approach already, and now that they're buried in the standings, there's little reason to change direction. It's time to shut Steer down for the season.

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