Second baseman Spencer Steer left the Reds’ 5-3 win over the Cardinals early today due to what the Reds officially described as “right wrist soreness.” During the fifth inning at bat, Steer took a bad swing while hitting a foul ball and was visibly upset afterward. A brief visit with the team’s coach led to Steer’s departure, too Edwin Arroyo hitting to complete the appearance of the plate.
“[Steer] he didn’t fight me out of that game. That makes me nervous,” manager Terry Francona told MLB.com’s Jeff Jones and other reporters after the game.We’ll get him checked out, we’ll take pictures, and they’ll schedule an appointment with a hand technician..”
More will be known once Steer is fully evaluated, but losing him to the injured list at any time would be difficult for the Reds in many areas. Cincinnati has won four of its last five games, but the team is still just 49-55 and in last place in the NL Central (and five games out of the NL wild card). Steer’s injury could end any faint hopes the Reds had of a late-season surge, and could prevent Steer from being traded at the trade deadline.
The Reds are widely expected to be tradesmen at the deadline, and although the team plans to contend in 2027, Cincinnati could land more free agents than any long-term controlled players. Steer is subject to arbitration through the 2028 season, however the Mariners and other teams have shown interest as a possible deadline addition.
In a trade market thin for hitters, Cincinnati could command a particularly good return for a player with Steer’s arb control, multi-positional versatility, and left-handed hitting ability. Steer entered today’s action hitting .240/.320/.423 with 16 homers over 382 plate appearances, but with a 1.062 OPS in 96 PA against southpaws.
Conceivably, the IL stint may not completely close the door on the Steer deal, if imaging doesn’t reveal any structural damage. A trader may be forced to keep rolling the dice to recover quickly, however that can be dangerous given how hand and hand injuries can affect the hitter even in the absence of direct pain.
Adding to the unwelcome injury news for the Reds, Francona told Jones and company on Friday that the pitcher Blake Dunn will visit Dr. Keith Meister to get a second opinion on possible elbow surgery. Dunn has missed the past month with a sprained right elbow, and some recent tests have indicated a hamstring injury.
Going under the knife will cost Dunn the entire 2026 season, and the nature of the procedure (Tommy John surgery, internal brace procedure, etc.) will determine whether Dunn can be ready for the start of Spring Training or the next Opening Day. Now in his third year as a temporary member of the Reds’ outfield mix, Dunn posted a .554 OPS over 104 PA in 2024-25 before improving to a .282/.335/.387 slash line over 155 PA this year.
