Cincinnati Reds Send Down Top 10 Prospect in Latest Round of Roster Cuts

The Cincinnati Reds announced their latest Spring Training roster moves on Monday morning, reassigning infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand and pitcher Chase Petty to minor league camp and optioning them to Triple-A Louisville.

They also reassigned catcher Michael Trautwein to minor league camp.

None of these moves come as a surprise. Even with Hunter Greene's injury, Petty never had a real shot to make the Opening Day roster.

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Chase Petty Needs to Continue to Develop

Jun 21, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Chase Petty (61) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the eleventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

After the 22-year-old struggled big time in 2025 with an ERA of 6.39 in 26 starts with Triple-A Louisville, it's best for Petty to go back down and try to find some success again. He's still just 22 years old, which is much younger than the average age in Triple-A..

"After an early dip in stuff, Petty climbed up the ladder while becoming a more complete pitcher and seeing his velocity return," MLB Pipeline wrote. "He was off to a solid start at Triple-A (2.86 ERA through June) and had made three big league appearances when the wheels fell off, posting a 9.24 ERA the rest of the way with Louisville."

The right-hander pitched in Monday's 14-3 loss to the San Diego Padres, tossing two scoreless innings. He gave up a hit, walked a batter, and struck out one.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand Needs to Control the Zone

Cincinnati Reds infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (33) runs drills, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at the Cincinnati Reds player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Encarnacion-Strand bursted onto the scene in 2023, slashing .270/.328/.477 in 63 games when he was called up halfway through the season. However, since then, he's dealt with multiple injuries and has just struggled when healthy.

The slugger has always been known for being able to connect with pitches outside of the zone, but big league pitchers have taken advantage of that and are getting him to chase. That is not a sustainable approach in the big leagues.

“A lot of it was about controlling the zone, what I want to swing and what I don’t want to swing at,”Encarnacion-Strand told Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie's Chalkboard. “A lot of (my struggles) was just getting at-bats after missing a year. It’s hard to miss a full season and come back and play your best. This game is hard. I also enjoy it. I love it. Going to Triple-A and getting those at-bats is how you fix it.”

The 26-year-old should follow in the footsteps on Rece Hinds, who saw his strikeout percentage drop 12 percent last year in Triple-A Louisville.

There are now 42 players remaining in major league camp.

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