PHOENIX -- Spencer Steer's 2026 season isn’t officially over, but it doesn’t look promising.
The versatile Steer was placed on the 10-day injured list on July 27 after he injured his right wrist during an at-bat against Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy in St. Louis one day earlier.
He’s been in a splint ever since, and his 2026 status is officially in doubt.
Steer was seen by Dr. Donald Sheridan in Arizona on Friday, and was given a new splint to wear following his visit with the orthopedic surgeon. He has not yet been recommended for surgery, as Reds manager Terry Francona said the preferred path forward is to avoid that option.
That still won’t be known for weeks, though.
“It still obviously is a problem,” Steer said prior to Friday’s series-opener against the D-backs. “I’m just trying to do everything I can to let the body heal, and then see what we’ve got in a couple of weeks.”
Francona said Steer can focus on lower-body workouts before being re-evaluated, but he sounded far less optimistic about a return for the utility player.
“The timeline for him coming back for the season is probably lessening,” Francona said. “I’m not going to say he couldn't, though, because I just don't say that.”
The club’s mantra has not changed from late July, when Steer said he wanted to avoid surgery through the use of a splint and rest. That remains the focus heading into the final month of the 2026 regular season.
Steer was enjoying a solid campaign in 2026, hitting .238 with 40 RBIs and 16 home runs in 98 games. He was drawing interest on the trade market before suffering the injury a week before the Trade Deadline.
Steer’s absence has been a rarity in Cincinnati since he made his MLB debut on Sept. 2, 2022, as the 28-year-old has played in 558 games since 2023 Opening Day.
“He's a tough kid,” Francona said. “We miss him.”
A return seems unlikely – especially with the Reds seven games back in the NL Wild Card race heading into Friday’s game against the Diamondbacks – so Francona said Steer almost assuredly won’t begin taking “aggressive” swings until late September.
That timeline alone appears to rule out hope of a 2026 return.
“The doctor has made it clear to Spencer that not having surgery is the first option,” Francona said. ”Before Oct. 1 we will try to have him swinging aggressively, just to make sure we can send him home with a healthy off-season.”
Ever the optimist, Steer said he is still trying to enjoy the final month of the regular season with his teammates, regardless of how his return timeline pans out.
“I’m a glass-is-half-full kind of guy,” Steer said. “I’m lucky I get to be on the road with them and watch them play baseball every night. I’m just trying to stay positive, and I’ll enjoy hanging out with my boys.”