BREAKING: Reds today activated from the 10-day injured list IF and designated for assignment C Austin Wynns just like you all wanted

Earlier this week, we asked whether the Cincinnati Reds should activate Christian Encarnacion-Strand once he’s healthy and finished rehabbing, or if they should option him to AAA so he can continue shaking off the rust from his two difficult big league seasons.

You all responded decisively. With 64% of the vote, the majority want the Reds to activate CES and give him regular playing time, primarily at first base and DH—positions where he fits best in the lineup.

If this question had come up during his rehab in late 2023, the answer would likely have been unanimous. That year, CES dominated AAA and earned a spot on Cincinnati’s active roster, putting up a strong 112 OPS+ and hitting 13 home runs in just 241 plate appearances.

But that was then. In 2024 and 2025, he’s struggled significantly, posting a dreadful -1.7 bWAR over 182 plate appearances with a weak 35 OPS+. Injuries have taken a serious toll, and there’s concern it might take him some time to regain his form.

I’d guess that most of the 36% who voted to option him to AAA still believe in his potential. They’d rather see him get about 30 plate appearances a week in the minors to regain his rhythm before the Reds risk playing him rusty at the major league level. Or at least, that’s preferable to activating him only to have him sit on the bench most days, since the Reds do have some versatile and more productive 1B/DH options who’ve performed better over the last two seasons.

Interestingly, one of those players was catcher Austin Wynns. The Reds kept carrying Wynns in recent weeks despite Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino being healthy because Wynns was out of options, and losing him on waivers would have hurt their catching depth. But carrying a bench bat who rarely played became too costly, and today Wynns was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for CES’s return.

CES is immediately back in the lineup, hitting fifth and playing first base in Friday’s opener against Arizona.