The Reds announced that Encarnacion-Strand (back) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League.

Shortly after being placed on the injured list April 17 due to lower-back inflammation, Encarnacion-Strand reported to the Reds' spring training facility in Arizona to conduct his rehab program. His back has apparently responded well since he resumed ramping up his baseball activities in recent weeks, and he's now been deemed ready to test himself in a game setting. He'll likely stick around in Arizona for a few games before eventually transferring his rehab assignment to a higher-level affiliate, and a return from the IL by the end of next week could be a possibility if everything goes smoothly. Before landing on the shelf, Encarnacion-Strand had been serving as Cincinnati's primary first baseman but slashed just .158/.183/.298 over 60 plate appearances. With Spencer Steer having since settled in at first base over the past month and having picked up the pace at the plate following a slow start to the season, Encarnacion-Strand may not have an everyday spot in the Cincinnati lineup waiting for him once he returns.

Harper went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and a stolen base against the Rockies in a 9-5 win Wednesday.

Harper's long ball was a big 437-foot solo shot in the third inning. The veteran first baseman recorded his third straight multi-hit effort and extended his hitting streak to a modest six games. Over that span, he's slashing a scorching .542/.556/.792 with one homer, eight RBI, five runs and two thefts.

Toglia is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

Toglia has held down an everyday gig all season, but his grip on a full-time role could be starting to loosen a bit. He'll be on the bench for the second time in five games, with the Rockies once again turning to Kyle Farmer to replace him at first base. After mashing 25 home runs and reaching base at a .311 clip in 2024, Toglia has seen his slugging percentage and on-base percentage drop 89 and 39 points, respectively, from last season. Meanwhile, Toglia's strikeout rate sits at 38.6 percent so far in 2025, up more than six percentage points from a season ago.

Long (leg) struck out in a pinch-hit appearance Tuesday in Triple-A Iowa's 3-2 loss to Columbus.

Long exited Iowa's game Saturday due to a tight leg muscle, and then sat out Sunday. After a team off day Monday, Long remained out of the lineup Tuesday, but his usage off the bench suggests that he'll avoid a stint on the 7-day injured list. It's unclear how soon he might resume playing either corner-infield spot, but Iowa could deploy him at designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup. The 23-year-old is slashing .368/.429/.533 with a 9.5 percent walk rate and 25.3 percent strikeout rate in his first season at Triple-A.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Valdez recently underwent season-ending surgery on his dislocated left shoulder, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Tomczyk estimated that Valdez would require about six months of recovery time, so the 26-year-old utility man should be back to full strength or close to it for spring training. Before being shut down with what was initially labeled as an inflamed left shoulder before it was determined he suffered a dislocation, Valdez played in 31 games for the Pirates and slashed .209/.294/.363 with two home runs, 12 RBI and seven runs across 102 plate appearances.

Black (hand) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League last Thursday and has slashed .455/.571/.818 over 14 plate appearances through his first four games.

Black remains on Triple-A Nashville's injured list after he sustained a fractured hamate bone in his right hand late in spring training, but he looks to be close to making his season debut with Milwaukee's top affiliate. The 24-year-old appeared in 18 games with the big club in 2024 and retains a spot on the Brewers' 40-man roster, but once activated, he'll likely need to turn in a solid run of production at the plate with Nashville before he garners consideration for a call-up.

Harper went 3-for-5 with two RBI, two doubles and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Rockies.

Harper extended his hitting streak to five games, collecting multiple knocks for the fourth time during that stretch. Over his last 15 contests, the All-Star first baseman is batting a scorching .368 (21-for-57) with two homers, six doubles, 14 RBI and nine runs scored. Harper now has 13 multi-hit efforts in 2025.

Hoskins went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a double and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Orioles.

It was the sixth home run of the season for Hoskins, who continues to put a dreadful start to the year behind him. Starting from the game when he launched his first long ball of the season back on April 15, the veteran first baseman is hitting .347 (35-for-101) with eight doubles, 22 RBI and 14 runs scored covering 31 outings. Although his .297 average on the season figures to regress at some point toward his .241 mark for his career in this area, Hoskins is certainly worth a look in all fantasy leagues for rosters in need of power.

Olson went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to Washington.

Olson put Atlanta on the board in the second inning when he took Mitchell Parker deep to center field for a solo homer. Olson has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last four games, going 8-for-16 with three home runs and five RBI over that span. He has slashed .250/.315/.531 across 73 plate appearances since the beginning of May.

Schmitt (oblique) started at first base and went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk in Monday's 3-1 loss to the Royals.

Schmitt was activated from the 10-day injured list Monday after missing the past month due to a Grade 2 left oblique strain. The 26-year-old infielder knocked a double down the left-field line in the seventh inning, marking his third two-bagger of the season. Schmitt is now slashing .200/.259/.320 with two RBI, one run scored and a 1:9 BB:K across 27 plate appearances.