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Encarnacion-Strand, who was reassigned to minor-league camp March 14, isn't expected to be available to make his season debut for Triple-A Louisville until at least April 19 while he recovers from a slight disc herniation in his back, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Encarnacion-Strand originally suffered the injury Feb. 13, but he was sidelined for only a few days in spring training before entering the Reds' Cactus League lineup. He then proceeded to produce at the plate, batting a remarkable .577 with four home runs and 13 RBI in 27 plate appearances before getting sent to minor-league camp. The injury has since cropped back up and has resulted in Encarnacion-Strand sitting out minor-league games for the past week, so the Reds will err on the side of caution by holding him out at Triple-A for the early part of the season. The Reds are tentatively targeting April 19 for him to serve as a designated hitter for Louisville with the hope that he'll be ready to handle a full-time role in the field by April 24.

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