Busch went 4-for-4 with three home runs and five RBI in Friday's 11-3 win over the Cardinals.

Busch went deep in the second, third and seventh innings, marking his first career three-homer game and the second multi-homer effort of his young career. The first baseman finished June with a stellar .309/.385/.617 slash line and has opened July with eight hits over four games. For the season, he's slashing .288/.373/.546 with 17 home runs, 55 RBI, 41 runs scored and four steals across 308 plate appearances.

Steer went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 9-6 win over the Phillies.

Steer reached base in each of his first four plate appearances, highlighted by a two-run double that gave the Reds a 5-3 lead in the third inning. The 27-year-old has now hit safely in 12 of his past 14 games, collecting eight multi-hit efforts along with five home runs, 15 RBI, 11 runs scored and two steals. The recent surge has lifted his season slash line to .256/.313/.413 with 10 homers, 37 RBI, 37 runs scored and six stolen bases across 319 plate appearances.

Contreras (wrist) is starting at first base and batting cleanup Friday against the Cubs.

Contreras was held out of the lineup Wednesday against the Pirates due to a left wrist contusion, but he's good to go following Thursday's team off day. The 33-year-old has been productive at the plate since the start of June with nine doubles, five homers and an .878 OPS in 28 games.

Encarnacion-Strand is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Phillies.

The 25-year-old started the previous four games and has been a lineup regular since returning from lower-back inflammation in early June, but Noelvi Marte's (oblique) activation from the injured list Friday leaves Cincinnati with a crowded infield. Encarnacion-Strand has a .723 OPS since coming back from his injury and could be the odd man out for the Reds, though he still seems likely to receive semi-regular starts.

Steer (hand) is starting at first base and batting fifth Friday against the Phillies.

Steer had X-rays on his right hand come back negative after being hit by a pitch Wednesday during the conclusion of a suspended game, and he's been cleared to start Friday's series opener in Philadelphia. The 27-year-old finished June strong and is batting .408 (20-for-49) with three doubles, a triple, five homers and two stolen bases across his past 13 contests.

Freeman went 2-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and one run scored in Thursday's 6-2 win over the White Sox.

Freeman opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning and plated the Dodgers' next two runs with another two-bagger in the third. This was Freeman's third multi-hit effort over his last four games. The first baseman is at a .312/.382/.507 slash line with 10 home runs, 47 RBI, 45 runs scored and no stolen bases over 75 games this season. He's also collected 23 doubles, which has him tied for third in the majors through Thursday's action.

Naylor is not in the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Giants.

Naylor returned to action Wednesday after missing the previous four contests with a neck injury. There's no indication he suffered a setback, but with lefty Robbie Ray on the bump for the Giants, it makes sense to give the left-handed-hitting Naylor a little more rest. Tim Tawa will handle first base and bat eighth.

Toglia is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest against the Astros.

After slugging three home runs in his first three games following his June 16 call-up from Triple-A Albuquerque, Toglia has gone 9-for-48 with a 44 percent strikeout rate over his last 12 games. He'll get a day off to regroup while Orlando Arcia occupies first base.

The Reds announced Wednesday that X-rays on Steer's right hand returned negative, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Steer suffered a right hand contusion when he was hit by a Brayan Bello pitch in the seventh inning Wednesday in the Reds' 5-3 loss to the Red Sox. That game was the continuation of a suspended contest from Tuesday, and the hand injury prompted the Reds to scratch Steer from the lineup ahead of their 8-4 win over Boston in the second game of the day. While manager Terry Francona noted that Steer campaigned to play in the second game, the 27-year-old was dealing with enough swelling in his hand for the Reds to err on the side of caution and hold him out. Steer will benefit from a team off day Thursday before potentially making his return to the lineup Friday in Philadelphia.

Naylor started at designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and an RBI in Wednesday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Giants.

Naylor returned to the lineup after missing four games due to a neck injury. He eventually moved to the field to play first base for the 10th inning.