Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s next shot at returning to the big leagues will happen as a Baltimore Orioles player.
The Cincinnati Reds on April 13 announced Encarnacion-Strand was traded to the Orioles in exchange for cash considerations.
In the wake of an injury to Reds catcher Jose Trevino, Encarnacion-Strand was designated for assignment April 8 in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for catcher P.J. Higgins. Encarnacion-Strand was cut from big-league spring training by the Reds March 9 and started the year at Triple-A Louisville.
The Reds could have lost Encarnacion-Strand to a waiver claim had they not found a deal to move the player.
Encarnacion-Strand was acquired by Cincinnati at the trade deadline in August 2022 in a deal where the Reds sent starting pitcher Tyler Mahle to the Minnesota Twins.
Nicknamed “CES,” Encarnacion-Strand was a top-10 prospect in the Reds organization and in 2023 was part of the club’s infusion of young talent that helped propel it to playoff contention. He played in 63 games during the campaign and hit .270.
Inconsistency and injuries hampered Encarnacion-Strand over the next two seasons, limiting him 65 combined games in 2024 and 2025.
The 26-year-old’s 2026 spring training got off to a slow start when he suffered a hamstring injury prior to camp. He was hitting .222 for the Louisville Bats prior to being designated for assignment.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Reds deal Christian Encarnacion-Strand to Baltimore Orioles
Reporting by Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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