Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona's initial anxiety about Spencer Steer's injury was justified.
Steer exited the Reds' July 26 game against the St. Louis Cardinals mid-at bat due to concerns about his right wrist. Further medical evaluations July 27 resulted in Steer going on the 10-day injured list for a wrist sprain.
Francona said he became concerned when the typically-stoic Steer agreed with the manager's decision to remove him from the game.
"The concern is he doesn't say anything, like in Seattle when he got hit in the ribs," Francona said. "He doesn't ever complain, so you worry when he comes out of a game. Like, he didn't fight me to come out of the game. That makes me nervous."
The injury hurts the Reds on two fronts.
The organization
has a clubhouse fighting to avoid being broken apart at the fast-approaching Aug. 3 trade deadline. The team is coming off a nine-game road trip with a 6-3 record and three consecutive series wins, although it might already be too late to prevent some amount of selling off at the deadline for a club that's 49-55 with 58 games to play.
The other consideration: Steer was one of the most-discussed Reds players relative to the trade deadline. Steer has been linked to multiple teams, and the fastest possible return from the IL would come well after the trade deadline. Prospective buyers might move off Steer as a trade consideration.
Entering play July 26, Steer was hitting .240 with a .743 OPS and 16 home runs. He'd played six different positions defensively for Cincinnati and was a National League Gold Glove finalist at first base in 2025.
More than half of his 48 appearances at first base in 2026 were as a substitute, and he played 53 games in the outfield, plus 17 combined games at second base and third base.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Spencer Steer is going on the 10-day IL. Here's what it means for the Reds
