Reds Get Encouraging Update on Spencer Steer’s Injury Recovery

The Cincinnati Reds received some encouraging news on Spencer Steer on Friday.

The veteran infielder has been on the injured list since July with a right wrist sprain.

Steer is expected to begin swinging a bat again this weekend for the first time since suffering the injury that ended his season. The progress is another encouraging sign that Steer appears likely to avoid surgery on the wrist this offseason.

Reds manager Terry Francona spoke to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer and mentioned that Steer continues to make progress in his recovery.

“All is going really well,” Francona said. “So he’ll begin more range of motion (activity) and start to get a bat in his hand (for dry swings).”

That is certainly a positive development for Steer and the Reds.

The bigger goal at this point isn't getting Steer back into the Reds' lineup before the season ends. It's making sure he's healthy enough to have a normal offseason and make sure he's ready when Spring Training begins.

“The goal is we want him to have a normal offseason,” Francona said. “We might be pushing it if we try to do it by the end of the season. So there are some things that are out there that we’ll explore.”

Could Steer Play in the Offseason?

Jul 17, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cincinnati Reds right fielder Spencer Steer (7) fields a throw for the final out of the game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One possibility for Steer could be to play in the Arizona Fall League. We have seen the Reds do this with Matt McLain, Rhett Lowder and Christian Encarnacion-Strand when they missed a good chunk of the season in the past.

The important part will be getting Steer to the point where he can swing without restrictions.

“We don’t want it to get much later, knowing we want to make the swings with, I don’t want to say with violence, but that he takes a pitch, misses a pitch, check swing, try and get a high fastball,” Francona said. “So he knows he’s not going to pick up a bat in spring training and not be hurting.”

That's going to be the biggest thing to watch over the next several weeks.

There isn't any reason to rush Steer back into a major league game with the season winding down. Getting him healthy enough to have a normal offseason is much more important.

For now, everything appears to be moving in the right direction.

You can read Wittenmyer's full story on Steer with more comments from Francona here.

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