Just when fantasy baseball managers thought the young, exciting Cincinnati Reds could not get any younger or more exciting, here comes slugging corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand, summoned for Monday's home game against the San Francisco Giants. The Reds, swept at home by the divisional-rival Milwaukee Brewers this weekend and scoring runs in only one of those three games, have already debuted SS/3B Elly De La Cruz and SS/2B Matt McLain this season (3B/1B/OF Spencer Steer played some in 2022) and now here comes Encarnacion-Strand.
The right-handed hitting Encarnacion-Strand, with a .331 batting average, 20 home runs and 62 RBIs over 67 games at Triple-A Louisville, figures to be a featured option as long as he keeps on hitting. He is already among the most-added players in ESPN standard leagues, as word of his minor league power provoked interest. He came to the Reds (along with Steer) in the Tyler Mahle trade with the Minnesota Twins last season. While Mahle has started only five times this season, this Oklahoma State product could handle third base versus right-handers, and platoon with Joey Votto at first base against lefties.