Christian Encarnacion-Strand News: On bench again

Encarnacion-Strand went unused off the bench in Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Marlins.

Since Noelvi Marte's return from the injured list last Friday, Encarnacion-Strand has started once over the last five games. For now, Marte and Spencer Steer will continue to garner most of the starts at the corner-infield spots, while Austin Hays and Gavin Lux appear set to share left field and the designated-hitter spot when the Reds face right-handed pitching. Encarnacion-Strand has batted just .179 over his last 17 games, and with his playing time on the downswing, he could soon be headed for a demotion to Triple-A Louisville.