CINCINNATI (WKRC) – Cincinnati Reds infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand returned to the Major League roster this weekend rather emphatically, and accomplished something not done by any other player in MLB this season.
Encarnacion-Strand struggled out of the box this season, hitting .158 with a .481 OPS and just two homers in 15 games. He was placed on the 15-day injured list with back inflammation on April 17 and then spent nearly two months working his way back.
A rehab assignment started on May 22 with the ACL Reds. Three days later CES went to Louisville, where he played in 10 games and hit .324 with a pair of homers, 5 doubles, a triple, 7 RBI and five walks.
The 25-year-old was activated on Friday for the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and immediately made his presence known with a single in the fourth inning and then a game-tying solo blast in the sixth inning before the game was suspended due to rain.
Encarnacion-Strand followed that with a walk-off double to center field, for a 4-3 Cincinnati victory, when the game resumed on Saturday afternoon.
In the nightcap CES, playing third base, went 2-for-5 with a 369-foot, three-run homer to left, which got the scoring started in a 13-1 victory.
In the series finale on Sunday he notched two more hits, including a 403-foot solo job. The Reds went on to win 4-2.
Per Just Baseball on Twitter, Encarnacion-Strand became the only player this season to have 7+ hits, 3+ HR, 6+ RBI, and a walk-off hit in a 3-game series.
Encarnacion-Strand missed all but a month of last season with a fractured right hand.