The Baltimore Orioles have acquired Christian Encarnacion-Strand from the Cincinnati Reds for cash considerations. The former top prospect had fallen out of favor in Cincinnati after they designated him for assignment last week. For the Orioles, the trade comes soon after the organization placed Ryan Mountcastle on the 60-day injured list.
In other corresponding moves, the Orioles have placed pitcher Yaramil Hiraldo on the 60-day injured list to make room for Encarnacion-Strand on the 40-man roster. They also selected utility player Weston Wilson to make the 26-man roster after Mountcastle was added to the injured list.
Encarnacion-Strand will begin in AAA Norfolk with the Orioles organization. However, given their injury situation in the infield, it would not be surprising to see him up in the MLB soon. Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday are also on the injured list for the Orioles.
Mountcastle was injured in Saturday’s game against the Giants with a fractured fourth metacarpal in his left foot. He’s not expected back until around the all-star break.
A Second Chance for a Former Top 100 Prospect
GettyChristian Encarnacion-Strand will look to take a step forward with a fresh change of scenery.
Encarnacion-Strand enters the Orioles organization with a lot to prove. While he was a former top 100 prospect and at one point the fifth overall prospect in the Reds system, it has been a rough go so far in his MLB career.
In 128 games over three season, Encarnacion-Strand batted .233/.275/.404 with 21 home runs. While his power has never been a concern, he struggled with preventing strikeouts and drawing walks in the top flight. His career strikeout percentage is 27.1% and his walk rate is 4.2%, both of which are well below average in the majors.
However, the cost to acquire Encarnacion-Strand was incredibly minimal. He’s only 26 years old and he really had no room to develop on the Reds as their infield depth is very strong at the major league level. For the Orioles, the move for Encarnacion-Strand is very timely given their developing injury situation.
Injury History and Recent Struggles Continue for Mountcastle
GettyThe struggles for Ryan Mountcastle continue as he heads to the injured list for the second straight season.
While once a consistent factor in the Orioles lineup, Mountcastle has seen a sharp decline in his batting skills over the last couple years. His injury history also has not been the best recently as well.
In 2025, Mountcastle was placed on the injured list with a right hamstring strain. He also had a rough season overall, batting .250/.286/.367 with 7 home runs over 89 games resulting in -0.4 fWAR.
When the Orioles signed Pete Alonso in free agency, it spelled concern over Mountcastle’s potential role. They kept him in arbitration and he has begun the season with limited playing time, splitting with prospect Coby Mayo. The struggles have continued this season as he’s only batted .286/.333/.357. While not terrible by any means, Mountcastle will need to improve his play if he wants to continue being with the Orioles beyond 2026.
If Encarnacion-Strand shows anything at the MLB level, he would be a much cheaper option over what Mountcastle costs in arbitration now year to year.
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