Spencer Steer's 2026 is officially finished. The Reds infielder/outfielder hasn't played since July 26, when he suffered a partial tear in a sheath in his right wrist, and after a fresh round of exams in Phoenix, the news came back worse than anyone hoped.
Steer himself confirmed it wasn't just a cautious shutdown. "I'm pretty much done for the year, for sure," he said, adding he'd held out hope for a late-September return to at least finish healthy. "It's looking like that's not the case anymore." That's about as clear as it gets from a guy who was still trying to talk himself into a comeback a few weeks ago.
The timing stings. Steer was floated as a trade chip ahead of the deadline given his versatility and team-friendly arbitration control, but Cincinnati held onto him with an eye on competing in 2027. Instead of building toward that with reps down the stretch, he's now shut down for good, and the Reds are left figuring out their infield mix without him for the rest of the year.
Surgery isn't a certainty yet. Doctors plan another look in a couple weeks, and per manager Terry Francona, the medical staff would rather avoid an operation if they can manage it. Either way, the expectation is Steer's ready to go for spring training, so the long-term outlook isn't the concern here — the immediate one is a lineup and fantasy shell losing a guy who chipped in 16 homers and a roughly league-average bat over 384 plate appearances this year.
For fantasy managers still holding Steer in dynasty or keeper formats, this is the definitive answer: zero more at-bats in 2026. For the Reds, it's one more piece off the board as they turn the page toward next season a little earlier than planned.