Christian Encarnacion-Strand was sent to play in the Arizona Fall League following surgery and rehabilitation. Normally, the league is for minor league prospects, but this year, some teams used it as a way to help players who were healing from injuries.
Encarnacion-Strand had gotten off to a good start. He drove in seven runs, had two doubles, walked twice, and picked up three consecutive 2-hit games. He went 1-2 and took two walks in his fourth game. By then, he was hitting.500 with four walks. However, he experienced a sort of setback and missed three weeks of play.
He made his comeback to the field on Wednesday, this time as Glendale’s designated hitter. With two strikeouts, Encarnacion-Strand would end the day 0–4. The first time he reached the plate, he would ground out. He blasted a 382-foot fly ball at 102 mph off the bat later in the game, but it ended up going to centre, and the centre fielder couldn’t get past it.
The day’s lineup also included Matt McLain, who returned to the dirt and played second base after having played in centre field the day before. He went 0–4 with four strikeouts that day, showing signs of struggling at the plate. Edwin Arroyo, a shortstop prospect, doubled and went 1-4.
However, Jose Acuna, a pitching prospect, had the greatest day for the Reds that day. He started, gave up two hits, walked two, and struck out six batters in 3.0 innings, while allowing a run. Although he pitched well and kept his ERA below 3.00 (it is 2.77 through 13 innings), he would accept the day’s loss.
Twenty minor leaguers leave the Reds
Twenty minor league players from the Reds organisation chose to participate in the minor leagues’ free agency, which began this week. Bubba Thompson, Edwin Rios, Erik Gonzalez, Hernan Perez, Levi Jordan, Mark Mathias, P.J. Higgins, Tucker Barnhart, Justus Sheffield, Connor Overton, Patrick Weigel, Alex Blandino, and more former major leaguers are among them.
Blandino was trying to return to the major leagues as a knuckleball pitcher after spending his time as a utility man. Between Single-A Daytona and complex level baseball this season, he only made seven appearances as a pitcher.
RedsMinorLeagues.com has the complete list of minor league players who became free agents.
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