The Cincinnati Reds may have turned their season around after a sluggish start, but one glaring misstep remains — continuing to keep an injured Spencer Steer on the active roster.
Now sitting at 9-9 and tied for third in the NL Central as of April 17, the Reds are finally starting to show signs of life. The turnaround has been fueled by dominant pitching, headlined by a Cy Young-caliber campaign from Hunter Greene and a bullpen that has become a consistent late-game force. Offensively, the team is starting to warm up as well, scoring at least five runs in four of their last six games.
Despite that momentum, Cincinnati is making a baffling decision by continuing to run out Spencer Steer — in a designated hitter role, no less — while he deals with a lingering shoulder injury. It’s no secret that Steer hasn’t been right at the plate. In 50 at-bats across 14 games, he’s batting just .120 with a .185 on-base percentage and a .220 slugging mark. Outside of one 2-for-4 outing, his numbers are even worse.
The Reds originally justified Steer’s place in the DH spot by noting that while he couldn’t play the field, he was healthy enough to hit. That logic has backfired. A compromised Steer isn’t producing, and more importantly, he’s occupying a crucial lineup spot while clearly not at full strength.
With a nine-game road trip looming, it’s time for the front office to make the obvious move: put Steer on the injured list. Let him stay back in Cincinnati, get healthy, and work his way back into the lineup at 100%. Keeping him active while he continues to struggle at the plate does neither him nor the team any favors.
This stretch is too important for the Reds to waste plate appearances. They’ve got young talent waiting in the wings, and resting Steer now gives him a chance to return later in the season when the games matter even more. If Cincinnati is serious about contending, they can’t afford to be sentimental or stubborn.
Let Steer heal. Let the prospects play. And let the Reds keep building momentum — with a roster that’s truly at full strength.
