The Reds designated Encarnacion-Strand for assignment Wednesday.
The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of P.J. Higgins. Encarnacion-Strand looked like a potential building block for the Reds a couple years ago, but he's struggled at the big-league level since the beginning of the 2024 campaign and has dealt with numerous injuries. He's still just 26 and has plenty of power potential, so there should be some interest in Encarnacion-Strand via waivers.