The Cincinnati Reds have sent infielder Jeimer Candelario to Arizona to begin a rehab assignment with their rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate. The ACL Reds are scheduled to play tonight at 9 p.m. ET.
Candelario has been out of action for over a month, last appearing in a game on April 27. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on April 30 due to a lumbar spine strain. Before the injury, his performance had been underwhelming—after going 4-for-17 in four March games, he struggled significantly in April, recording just five hits in 18 games. While four of those hits went for extra bases, his slash line for the month was a disappointing .077/.198/.213.
Under MLB rules, position players can remain on a minor league rehab assignment for up to 20 days. By that time, a team must decide whether to activate the player to the big league roster, option him to the minors, or remove him from the rehab assignment and keep him on the injured list. For Candelario, that decision deadline falls on June 22.
Meanwhile, Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been progressing well in his own rehab stint. He began his return from a back injury in Arizona, playing two games before being promoted to Triple-A Louisville on May 25. Across nine rehab games between the two levels, he has impressed, going 9-for-31 with four doubles, a triple, two homers, and two walks—good for a .355/.412/.742 slash line.
Encarnacion-Strand has been even more productive since joining Louisville. In seven games with the Bats, he has posted a scorching .375/.444/.833 line, showing signs that he may soon be ready to return to Cincinnati’s lineup.
The Reds will continue monitoring both players closely as they work through their rehab assignments, with decisions looming about their roles moving forward.
