C. Notes: Christian Encarnacion-Strand leads Reds' sweep of Diamondbacks

New York Times

7 hours ago

CINCINNATI — Before Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds utilityman Spencer Steer marveled at his teammate Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
'You just look at him,' Steer said, pointing across the clubhouse where the 25-year-old Encarnacion-Strand stood at his locker. 'He's a strong guy; he's going to hit the ball hard.'
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A teammate walked by and made a comment about Encarnacion-Strand's physique, and Steer noted: 'Yeah, he's got a thick lower half. That's going to help him.'
Beyond the physical traits, Encarnacion-Strand can not only put the bat on the ball regardless of where it's thrown, but also do damage on pitches other players can't.
Sunday, Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen said he thought his fourth-inning 3-2 knuckle curve to Encarnacion-Strand was a 'pretty good pitch.' It was. The pitch was just below the strike zone on the outer third of the plate. Encarnacion-Strand went down to get the pitch and launched it 403 feet into the stands in left field for his third homer in as many games since coming off the injured list.
'He hits some balls where you go, 'How did you hit that one out?'' said Reds second baseman Matt McLain, whose two-run home run in the seventh inning gave the Reds a 4-2 victory over the Diamondbacks to complete the series sweep.
McLain didn't even pick the pitch from Gallen as one of those, instead noting Encarnacion-Strand's homer Friday night when he hit a slider on the outside corner to straightaway center field for the tying home run.
YUP CES IS STILL BACK pic.twitter.com/I93LkfkH6p
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 8, 2025
Both Friday night's home run and Sunday's home run were on the edge of the strike zone. Since the Reds acquired Encarnacion-Strand (and Steer) from the Minnesota Twins at the 2022 trade deadline, the book on him is that he can hit just about any ball out of the park, but he needs to limit his swings to pitches in the zone.
'That can get him in trouble at times because he can hit those balls out, and he expands the zone a little too much at times,' Steer said.
Reds manager Terry Francona has repeatedly said that when Encarnacion-Strand swings at strikes, he can be an integral part of the Reds lineup.
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While the Reds had been dealing with offensive inconsistencies, the front office was patient in waiting for Encarnacion-Strand to be ready before bringing him back. It was tough not only for the front office, but also Encarnacion-Strand, who missed the vast majority of the 2024 season with injuries.
But after going on the IL on April 17 with low back inflammation, Encarnacion-Strand started his rehab assignment on May 15 in Arizona and then went to Triple-A Louisville three days later. In all, he played 10 games with the Bats and got a total of 43 plate appearances. That, he said, was vital to the success he's had in his three games back, where he hit a home run in each game and went 7-for-13 in the three-game series against Arizona.
'It made it easier knowing that I'm starting to settle in, and when they call me up (to the big leagues), I'll be ready,' Encarnacion-Strand said.
One of the reasons Terry Francona is so appreciated by those who have played for him is that he cares about his players as people, not just for what they can do for him professionally.
Francona has spoken glowingly about backup catcher Austin Wynns since this spring, complimenting myriad qualities that made the 34-year-old catcher a valuable member of the Reds, from his preparation to his play to his attitude.
When the Reds activated Encarnacion-Strand on Friday, the team designated Wynns for assignment. Wynns started 12 games when Tyler Stephenson was on the injured list but hadn't started a game since Stephenson was activated May 2.
Before Friday's game, Francona was asked if he hoped Wynns would clear waivers and the Reds could keep him in the organization. He quickly answered, 'No.' Not because he didn't think he'd help the Reds, but because that's what was best for Wynns.
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'I'm not even comfortable saying 'fingers crossed' because the guy deserves to be in the major leagues,' Francona said. 'He handled a really (crappy) thing really well. He is (a pro). He was and is and will be.'
The Reds were sure Wynns would be claimed, and while he was on waivers, he was traded to the Athletics for cash considerations.
It was the second instance during the week that the Reds put a player's best interest over their own. Wade Miley opted out of his contract, and Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall told him that the team wanted him, but at the time, there was no place in the rotation for him. He told Miley that if there wasn't a starting job out there that he wanted, the Reds would sign him to a big-league deal and he'd go to the bullpen.
The way Miley was treated — not just this week but also following the 2021 season when his option wasn't picked up — with honesty and respect was a big reason he wanted to return to Cincinnati, he said.
Miley's first start in more than a year will be at a place he has had success before, Cleveland's Progressive Field. Miley, who threw a no-hitter for the Reds against Francona's Guardians in 2021, will start for the Reds on Monday.
The 38-year-old Miley had a hybrid Tommy John surgery in May 2024. Miley was signed to a big-league deal Wednesday and appeared in that night's game against his old team, the Milwaukee Brewers.
Against the Brewers, Miley gave up four runs on six hits in just two innings. Miley said getting on the mound in a big-league game was such a big accomplishment that he wasn't really thinking as much about pitching as he was being in the game.
'I was appreciative of getting that opportunity to go back out there,' Miley said Sunday. 'It was a little more chucking and ducking than pitching, but I kind of forgot to pitch. I was just like, 'I'm out here throwing balls.''
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Even when Miley was younger, his success came from pitching, rather than overpowering hitters. If Miley isn't pitching, his 90 mph fastball isn't going to overpower big-league hitters.
'Now I can focus on pitching moving forward,' Miley said.
As for his no-hitter in Cleveland in 2021, Miley said he doesn't think much about it.
'It was definitely a cool moment that happened,' Miley said. 'You can't get caught up in that too much, since it can be a slippery slope.'
Nicolle Suárez, the daughter of Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez, got a chance to see her dad play against her favorite team this weekend. Nicolle, her sister and mother accompanied the former Red to the series at Great American Ball Park.
Nicolle, 7, got to see three Reds victories and two home runs by her dad. Perhaps more importantly, she was reunited with the Reds' mascots, Rosie, Mr. Redlegs, Mr. Red and Gapper, whom her dad said she was the most excited to see.
An All-Star swing.https://t.co/4SLoL8HfgQ pic.twitter.com/Amkkyfn7zL
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) June 8, 2025
Nicolle was born in Cincinnati in September 2017 when her dad was a member of the Reds. Suárez was traded to the Seattle Mariners before the 2022 season and then to the Diamondbacks following the 2023 season. Originally signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur in 2008, the Reds acquired him in a trade following the 2014 season.
Suárez was with the Reds in 2017 when Scooter Gennett hit four home runs in a game, and earlier this season, he joined Gennett in the exclusive four-homer club.
The two former teammates traded texts, which was not surprising considering they were two of the most friendly players in the history of the home clubhouse at GABP.
'I like Scooter a lot, he was one of my best teammates — he was always happy, always enjoyable,' Suárez said Friday, the anniversary of Gennett's four-homer game. 'He congratulated me and it was awesome. I never thought I'd hit four homers in a big-league game.'
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Suárez's four-homer game came the day after former Reds general manager Walt Jocketty, who brought Suárez to Cincinnati, died.
'For me, Jocketty was a lot — he had a part of my heart because he was the guy who trusted in Eugenio Suárez,' he said. 'Not only that, he gave me the opportunity to build my career. He was the guy who asked for me from the Detroit Tigers. He asked the Detroit Tigers for me because he thought I was going to be a good player.'
Saturday, Suárez hit his 100th home run at Great American Ball Park, and Sunday, he hit the 294th of his career, which tied him with Magglio Ordóñez for third most by a player born in Venezuela. Súarez trails only Miguel Cabrera (511) and Andrés Galarraga (399) on that list.
It was walk-off week for the Reds, with TJ Friedl closing Tuesday night's game with a robbery of a tying homer, and then Saturday, Encarnacion-Strand singled in the winning run in the continuation of Friday night's game against the Diamondbacks for the Reds' first walk-off hit of the season and the fourth of his young career. The Reds' sweep of the Diamondbacks helped get them back to .500 (33-33) and gave them a winning week after dropping two of three to the Brewers.
The Reds take a 3-0 lead into Cleveland for the conclusion of the Ohio Cup. There is a trophy, and the Reds haven't won it since 2014, Francona's second year at the helm in Cleveland. For those betting on the Frank Robinson Most Outstanding Player, former Guardian Will Benson is the favorite to claim one of baseball's highest honors after hitting four home runs in the Reds' three-game sweep of the Guardians in May. After the conclusion of that series, the Reds will stay in the American League Central, traveling to Detroit to face the Tigers for three games.
• IF Jeimer Candelario (lumbar spine sprain) began his rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville on Thursday after a pair of games in Arizona. He had at least one hit in each of his first three games with the Bats before going 0-for-3 in Sunday's second game of a doubleheader. With the Bats, he has gone 4-for-15 with a double, while striking out six times.
• RHP Hunter Greene (right groin strain) went on the IL on June 4. An MRI showed no new injury.
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• 3B Noelvi Marte (left oblique strain) started hitting drills in Arizona on Friday.
• RHP Carson Spiers (right shoulder impingement) threw off the mound for the first time on Friday in Arizona.
• Triple-A Louisville (26-36): The Bats snapped a nine-game losing streak on Saturday when RHP Chase Petty went six innings and allowed just one run, a home run to the second hitter of the game, on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. In a seven-inning game as part of a makeup doubleheader, Candelario hit a walk-off single to give the Bats a 2-1 victory. RHP Connor Phillips earned the win with a scoreless inning. The second game was postponed by rain and made up as a doubleheader Sunday. The Bats split that doubleheader with the Norfolk Tides.
• Double-A Chattanooga (28-25): OF Hector Rodríguez hit his seventh home run of the season Saturday. The 21-year-old is hitting .277/.346/.456 in 217 plate appearances for the Lookouts this season. He has 29 strikeouts and 20 walks to go along with 10 doubles and a pair of triples.
• High-A Dayton (18-39): IF Cam Collier's rehab assignment was transferred from Arizona to Dayton this week, and he had hits in four of the five games he played with the Dragons. Collier, who had surgery to repair a thumb injury suffered in spring training in March, played 10 games in Arizona before going to Dayton. In his five games with the Dragons, he's 5-for-17 with a double, four strikeouts and three walks.
• Class-A Daytona (25-32): SS Sammy Stafura tripled in three straight games this weekend and has five on the season. The 20-year-old is hitting .259/.374/.416 with 12 doubles and three home runs. He also has 16 stolen bases. Over 240 plate appearances, he has 61 strikeouts and 33 walks.