McLain went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double and an additional run scored during Thursday's 7-1 win over the White Sox.
McLain got off to a slow start to 2025, slashing .160/.282/.290 across his first 100 at-bats spanning 28 games, but the 25-year-old seems to be turning a corner. In nine games since, McLain is 8-for-32 (.250) with a pair of home runs, six runs scored and four stolen bases. He's up to six homers on the season.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Breaks homer drought Saturday
Rotowire
McLain went 1-for-3 with a stolen base, two-run home run and two additional runs scored in Saturday's 13-9 win over the Astros.
After drawing a bases-loaded walk in the first inning, McLain pushed the Reds' lead to 11 runs in the third with a two-run homer off Logan VanWey. It was McLain's fifth home run of the season, but his first since April 18 against the Orioles. He also managed to extend his on-base streak to 11 games, and over that span he has gone 8-for-41 with six stolen bases, six runs scored, one home run and four RBI.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Swipes ninth bag
Rotowire
McLain went 1-for-5 with a stolen base in Thursday's 5-4 extra-innings loss to Atlanta.
Soon after McLain's return from the injured list in mid-April, his average plummeted below the Mendoza Line and has stayed there. However, he is making the most of the times he does get on base. Over the last 11 contests, McLain is batting .190 (8-for-42) with six walks and six stolen bases. He's up to nine steals over 30 games on the season, putting him on pace to eclipse the career-high 14 steals he delivered in 2023. McLain's most prolific season in the minors was 2022, when he swiped 27 bags across 103 games at Double-A Chattanooga.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Snaps hitless run
Rotowire
McLain went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Monday's 3-1 win over the Cardinals.
McLain's seventh-inning single was his first hit in a week. It ended an 0-for-21 stretch that dropped his average to .157. He's had bad luck early on, as McLain is in the top tier in barrel (18.6 percent, 94th percentile) and hard-hit (53.5, 90th) rates through 20 games. Over time, results begin to correct, which suggests McLain is due for a productive stretch.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Exits starting nine
Rotowire
McLain is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mariners.
McLain started the first two games upon his return from the 10-day injured list, but he'll get a breather for Thursday's series finale. Gavin Lux is at second base and batting fifth for the Reds on Thursday.
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Reds' Matt McLain: On base three times in return
Rotowire
McLain went 0-for-2 with three walks, an RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday's 8-4 win over the Mariners.
McLain was activated earlier in the day, returning to second base and second in the order. He scored each time after the first two walks, and then the final free pass came with the bases loaded. After opening the season with six hits in his first 19 at-bats, McLain is hitless over the last 11 and is batting .200.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Back from injured list
Rotowire
The Reds reinstated McLain (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday.
The 25-year-old has been sidelined since April 4 due to the hamstring strain, but he's ready to rejoin the active roster after a brief stay on the injured list. Prior to the injury, McLain had yet to find much consistency with a .214 average through 31 plate appearances, though he flashed his power with three home runs.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Expected back when first eligible
Rotowire
Reds manager Terry Francona said Friday that he's pretty confident McLain (hamstring) will be ready for activation from the 10-day injured list when first eligible Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.
McLain's placement on the IL earlier this week with a left hamstring strain seemed largely precautionary, so it's not terribly surprising that he's trending toward a minimum absence. It appears the infielder will skip a rehab assignment and go directly back into the Reds' lineup once activated.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Placed on injured list
Rotowire
The Reds placed McLain (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to a left hamstring strain.
McLain was reportedly available off the bench Monday, but the Reds will instead err on the side of caution and give him more time to recover while on the injured list. He hasn't played since Saturday, so he'll be eligible to return from the IL in a week. While he's out, Santiago Espinal could benefit from increased playing time at second base, or the Reds could move Gavin Lux to the keystone from left field.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Remains on bench Sunday
Rotowire
McLain (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
The second baseman was scratched from the starting nine the past two days due to hamstring tightness, and while the Reds won't attempt to rush him back for Sunday's series finale in Milwaukee, he could be available off the bench. Santiago Espinal will start at the keystone and bat second in place of McLain.
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Reds' Matt McLain: May be out Sunday
Rotowire
McLain (hamstring) may be held out of the Reds' lineup Sunday, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.
McLain doesn't appear to be dealing with a serious issue, though he was out of the lineup both Friday and Saturday after being a late scratch. Manager Terry Francona said the Reds will take a cautious approach as they don't want to force him into the lineup when he isn't at full strength, though he didn't go as far as to rule McLain out for Sunday's matchup against the Brewers.
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Reds' Matt McLain: No longer starting Saturday
Rotowire
McLain was scratched from Saturday's lineup against Milwaukee due to a tight left hamstring.
McLain was also a late scratch due to the hamstring issue Friday, though he was able to appear as a pinch hitter late in the contest. He was originally slated to return to the lineup Saturday but was subsequently removed. McLain had been penciled in at DH before being scratched, and that role will now be assumed by TJ Friedl, while Blake Dunn will move into the lineup in center field.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Steals base Wednesday
Rotowire
McLain went 0-for-4 with a stolen base in Wednesday's 1-0 loss to the Rangers.
McLain reached base on an error then stole second during the seventh inning, putting himself in scoring position with no outs. Two swinging strikeouts and a groundout followed, and the Reds lost a second consecutive 1-0 game. The theft was the first of the season for McLain, who had double-digit steals for the Reds in 2023 and at every minor-league stop before that.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Stays hot Monday
Rotowire
McLain went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, four runs scored and a walk in Monday's win over the Rangers.
McLain knocked a two-run homer in the first inning, wasting no time going deep for a third consecutive game. He's now 5-for-16 with four extra-base hits and seven runs scored through four games. McLain posted an impressive .864 OPS as a rookie in 2023 but missed the entire 2024 campaign due to shoulder and rib injuries. It's worth noting that all four of his starts have been at second base after he spent some time in the outfield during the Arizona Fall League in 2024.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Goes deep again
Rotowire
McLain batted leadoff and went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Giants.
McLain moved up a spot in the batting order with TJ Friedl getting a day off against a left-hander. McLain hit the second of back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning, when the Reds scored all three of their runs. Other than that, the Cincinnati bats were quiet. The homer was McLain's second in as many days.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Move to center field more likely
Rotowire
With the Reds trading for Gavin Lux, the likelihood of McLain moving to center field increases, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer suggests.
The Reds made sure that McLain took some reps in center field during the Arizona Fall League in October and November. It's possible that Lux could move off second base -- either to the outfield or third base -- so it's not set in stone that McLain will move.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Starting in center field in AFL
Rotowire
McLain is starting in center field Tuesday for the Glendale Desert Dogs during Arizona Fall League play, Doug Gray of RedlegNation.com reports.
McLain has played only second base and shortstop in pro ball, and his first five starts in the AFL came at second base. However, the outfield isn't totally foreign to the 25-year-old, as center field was his primary position in his freshman season at UCLA and he also saw some action in the corner outfield spots during college summer ball. Whether the Reds will consider using McLain in the outfield some in 2025 isn't clear, but the versatility can't hurt, especially with the club having other middle-infield options. McLain missed the entire 2024 campaign following shoulder surgery and a subsequent stress reaction in his ribcage, but he's expected to enter spring training healthy.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Reinstated from 60-day injured list
Rotowire
The Reds activated McLain (shoulder/rib) from the 60-day injured list Monday.
It's a paper move reinstating McLain to the 40-man roster, as the infielder's rehab assignment in the Arizona Fall League has technically expired. McLain missed the entire 2024 season following shoulder surgery and later a stress reaction in his rib cage, but he will enter spring training at 100 percent, barring another setback.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Will play in instructional league
Rotowire
McLain (shoulder/rib) will play in instructional league games this fall, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
McLain has missed the entire 2024 campaign following shoulder surgery and later a stress reaction in his rib cage, so he will get into some game action this fall to make up for lost time. Barring any setbacks, he should enter spring training with a clean bill of health.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Still undergoing tests
Rotowire
Reds manager David Bell said Tuesday that McLain (shoulder/rib) is still undergoing tests to determine the cause of the pain in his side, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
McLain encountered a roadblock in his recovery from left shoulder surgery when he went down with a stress reaction in his rib cage earlier this month. He had resumed baseball activities but evidently at some point was shut down again. Bell noted that the testing McLain is going through is nearly finished and the infielder could resume swinging a bat again soon. There could still be time for McLain to make it back before the end of the season, but he can't afford any more setbacks.
