Possible Season-Ending Surgery For Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Brandon Williamson

TODAY: Williamson will forgo surgery for now, Bell told Mark Sheldon (X link) and other reporters, and instead receive injections in his ailing shoulder. The southpaw will be sidelined for at least three weeks to see how his shoulder responds to treatment, then resume throwing if improvement is shown.

JUNE 11: Two players at the Reds may need to go under the knife, according to reports David Bell, as relayed by Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (X link) and Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer (X link). Striker Christian Encarnacion-Strand he has bone damage in his broken hand while on the left Brandon Williamson he has a wound on his shoulder. Both players will be evaluated in the coming days with possible season-ending surgery on all of them.

Encarnacion-Strand started to shine last year, scoring 13 runs in his first 63 major league games. He slashed .270/.328/.477 with a 112 wRC+ while playing first and third base, as well as shortstop in right field.

That appears to have earned him the first day-to-day gig come 2024, even though the season hasn't gone as well as he or the club would have liked. He produced a hot line of .190/.220/.293 this year before going on the injured list in early May. He was hit by a pitch in the hand at the end of April. X-rays after that HBP were negative but revealed an “old fracture” in one of his bones, according to Wittenmyer. He continued to play for a while before finally being drafted into the IL.

He has been on IL for over a month now and it seems further testing has found muscle damage. “Surgery is an option,” Bell said today, according to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer at X. “We hope he can start to improve. If it's his decision and the experts.”

As for Williamson, he has been on the disabled list all year due to a shoulder strain sustained in spring training. He has worked in rehabilitation for a while but was closed last week due to unwellness.

Once a top 100 prospect, Williamson moved from the Mariners to the Reds as part of a March 2022 trade that posted. Eugenio Suárez again Jesse Winker in Seattle. Williamson made his major league debut last year with a 4.46 earned run average which is obviously not very exciting, but perhaps it is worth noting that his results improved as he adjusted to the majors. He had a 5.82 ERA in his first eight outings but then had a 3.79 ERA in his last 15.

The Reds' season has been severely hampered by the absence of potential contributors so far this year. Noelvi Marté received an 80-game PED suspension and was out for the rest of the year, while players like Encarnacion-Strand, Williamson, Matt McLain, Nick Lodolo, TJ Friedl while others missed time due to injury.

Lodolo and Friedl have since returned to the club and McLain could possibly join the club in August. If Encarnacion-Strand or Williamson or both end up needing surgery, it will deprive the club of another such return later in the year.

The team suffered a poor start in May but have been hot of late, winning seven of their last eight games. Their 32-34 record isn't particularly surprising, but it puts them just a half game back from the playoffs in the National League's weakest race. Assuming they circle the postseason picture in the coming weeks, they can address these issues, if surgery is ultimately deemed necessary.

Meanwhile, Lodolo, Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott again Frankie Montas are in four rotation positions with one opening due to the recent selection of Graham Ashcraft. Interior filling options include Nick Martinez again Carson Spiers. Williamson would be in the mix if healthy but naturally would be ruled out if he ends up having surgery.

on the field, Spencer Steer has been a regular first player lately, with Jonathan India secondly, Jeimer Candelario for the third time Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, while the hitting position has been used more to rotate the club's many outfielders in the lineup. If Encarnacion-Strand had been healthy, Steer could have been moved to third or DH or the corner infield, though that may not be an option right now and may not play at all for the remainder of 2024.