BALTIMORE -- Since getting traded from the Reds to the Orioles on April 13, Christian Encarnacion-Strand has shown his immense power potential in the Minors. The former Cincinnati prospect has slugged 17 home runs in 61 games for Triple-A Norfolk.
Now, the 26-year-old corner infielder is getting his first big league opportunity with Baltimore.
The O’s recalled Encarnacion-Strand from Triple-A on Thursday, ahead of their three-game weekend series at Houston that begins Friday night. Utility man Blaze Alexander (who fractured his left hand on Sunday) was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Monday.
Alexander’s fracture in his left hand is non-displaced, but the 27-year-old will still likely miss substantial time. He was scheduled to meet with a doctor during the All-Star break earlier this week.
Encarnacion-Strand will give the Orioles another option at third base in the meantime, though Coby Mayo could get the majority of the starts at the hot corner in Alexander’s absence. Mayo will surely start against left-handed pitchers -- he has a .288 average with nine homers and a 1.092 OPS against southpaws this season -- but the 24-year-old has struggled against righties (a .147 average with three home runs and a .446 OPS).
The No. 7 prospect in the Reds’ system at the start of 2023 (per MLB Pipeline), Encarnacion-Strand played 128 games for Cincinnati from 2023-25, hitting .233 with 21 home runs and a .679 OPS. The right-handed slugger’s best showing came as a rookie in ‘23, when he hit .270 with 13 homers and an .805 OPS in 63 games.
This year, Encarnacion-Strand was optioned by Cincinnati to Triple-A Louisville on March 9. He was designated for assignment on April 8 and dealt to Baltimore in exchange for cash considerations five days later.
Most of Encarnacion-Strand’s playing time for Norfolk came at third, where he made 43 starts. He also made nine starts at first base, but Pete Alonso gets nearly all of the work there for the O’s, with Samuel Basallo and Mayo available to fill in, if needed.
The Orioles are going to miss the near-everyday presence of Alexander, who was hitting .312 with 12 doubles, two triples, four homers, 29 RBIs and an .807 OPS over 82 games during his first season with the club. But if Encarnacion-Strand can carry over his offensive success from Triple-A, it could be a boost for Baltimore in the meantime.
In 71 Triple-A games between Louisville and Norfolk this season, Encarnacion-Strand has shown the ability to hit both righties (a .271 average, 15 home runs and an .858 OPS) and lefties (a .250 average, four homers and an .817 OPS) at a high level. So that could be a useful asset for the O’s moving forward.