Christian Encarnacion-Strand Injury: Out of lineup again

Encarnacion-Strand is out of the lineup Sunday against the Pirates, with manager Terry Francona noting that the first baseman is "banged up" due to back and hamstring issues, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.

Encarnacion-Strand will miss out on a start for the second day in a row due to the pair of injury concerns, both of which he contended with at points during the 2023 season. However, Francona said he expects Encarnacion-Strand to be available off the bench Sunday, so the Reds don't appear to be too concerned about the 25-year-old potentially needing a stint on the shelf.