The Baltimore Orioles acquired first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand from the Reds this week and immediately optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. Cincinnati designated the 26-year-old for assignment last week and received cash considerations in return.
To make room on the 40-man roster, Baltimore transferred right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo to the 60-day injured list after he went on the 15-day injured list just over a week ago because of inflammation in his throwing shoulder. The Orioles also selected Weston Wilson and put Ryan Mountcastle on the 60-day injured list.
Encarnacion-Strand arrives with a track record that has already shown both upside and strain. He hit 13 home runs and posted a.270/.328/.477 line over his first 63 major league games, enough to hint at a middle-of-the-order bat, but his combined major league line over the past two years is.199/.227/.337. He also hit 11 home runs in 62 Triple-A games last year.
The move fits Baltimore's recent roster scramble. Injuries to Adley Rutschman, Mountcastle and Tyler O'Neill have thinned the club's first base and designated hitter depth, and Encarnacion-Strand gives the Orioles another option at a position where he has done most of his work. He has primarily played first base, though he also spent a decent amount of time at third.
For Cincinnati, the trade closes a difficult stretch for a player once viewed as a long-term lineup piece. The Reds got him from the Twins in the Tyler Mahle trade in 2022, called him up in July 2023 and then watched his progress stall after he underwent season-ending wrist surgery in June 2024. Baltimore is betting that a reset in Norfolk can turn the bat back around. The more immediate question is whether that bet becomes meaningful for the Orioles later this season if the injuries keep forcing them to keep shuffling the corners of the lineup.
