Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said he's pretty confident that second baseman Matt McLain (hamstring) will return from the 10-day injured list when he's eligible next Tuesday, April 15. The Reds placed McLain on the IL early this week as a precaution with a left-hamstring strain, and he should be able to rejoin the team early next week. Because the Reds don't seem very concerned with his injury, the 25-year-old will likely skip a minor-league rehab assignment altogether. Gavin Lux has seen some action at the keystone with McLain out this week, but Santiago Espinal is making the start at second and is batting eighth for the Reds on Friday. When McLain returns, he will return to starting duties at the position for the Reds. The former first-rounder looked great in his rookie season in 2023 before missing all of last year due to injury. He went 6-for-28 with three homers, a double and five RBI before his injury.
Reds Place Matt McLain On 10-Day Injured List With Hamstring Strain
The Cincinnati Reds announced on Tuesday that they placed infielder Matt McLain (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 5) with a slight left-hamstring strain. In other moves, the team recalled outfielder Will Benson and infielder Noelvi Marte from Triple-A Louisville and optioned right-hander Carson Spiers to Louisville. Because it's considered a minor injury, the 25-year-old McLain could be ready to return from the IL as early as next week. Gavin Lux is making another start at second base on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants, but Santiago Espinal could also see starts at the keystone if Lux is moved back to the outfield. Benson and Marte will provide depth in the outfield and infield, respectively. McLain has hit just .214 (6-for-28) in his first eight games in 2025, but he did club three homers, and he is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues while he recovers.
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (hamstring) will not return to the starting lineup for Monday's series opener at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants, but he'll be available off the bench. McLain did some supervised running and work on the field before the Reds made the call to hold him out for a fourth straight game due to left-hamstring soreness. Gavin Lux is starting at the keystone and is hitting cleanup for the Reds versus Giants right-hander Logan Webb. Fantasy managers should treat the 25-year-old McLain as day-to-day, and he could return to the lineup as early as Game 2 of the series on Tuesday. The former first-rounder is hitting only .214 (6-for-28) through his first eight games, but he does have three homers and five RBI. Lux has plenty of experience against Webb, batting .286 with three RBI in 21 career at-bats.
Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain (hamstring) is not in the starting lineup for Sunday afternoon's matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. McLain has been scratched from the starting nine over the past two games due to a hamstring injury. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to their next contest on Monday evening in San Francisco. As a result, Santiago Espinal will get the starting nod at the keystone and bat second. Prior to his four-game hitless streak, McClain was enjoying an impressive start to the campaign, posting a .300/.364/.800 slash line with one double and three round-trippers over his first five games of the campaign. Espinal is worth a look as a value play in DFS facing Milwaukee right-hander Chad Patrick.
Matt McLain Could Miss Sunday's Game Against Milwaukee
Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain (hamstring) could be out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. "We might not play him tomorrow (Sunday) to be a bit of a worry wart," said Reds manager Terry Francona. "I want him to be able to play and not try to have to go 85 or 90 percent. I don't think that's fair to him. He's willing to do it. I don't think that's right." McLain was a late scratch on Friday with a hamstring issue, and the Reds are being cautious with their infielder and have kept him out of the lineup for the last two games. McLain doesn't appear to be dealing with a serious injury and is considered day-to-day. The 25-year-old is slashing .214/.290/.571 with three home runs, five RBI, and a stolen base over eight games. Santiago Espinal would continue to handle second base duties until McLain is ready to return. Espinal can be used as a streamer in deep-league formats after hitting .500 (4-for-8) over his last two games.
Cincinnati Reds infielder/outfielder Matt McLain (hamstring) has been scratched from the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. McLain was a late scratch on Friday due to a hamstring issue. He appeared in the game as a pinch-hitter, so the assumption was he'd be ready to return on Saturday. McLain was penciled in as the designated hitter, but has now been scratched from Saturday's lineup. Hopefully, McLain will only need one more day off before getting back in the lineup. Blake Dunn will cover center field and bat right-hander Elvin Rodriguez. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly ahead of first pitch.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Matt McLain is back in the lineup on Saturday as the Reds take on the Brewers after being scratched Friday due to tightness in his left hamstring. He appeared later in the game as a pinch hitter and lined out deep to center field in the ninth inning. McLain will bat second as the designated hitter in a favorable matchup against Elvin Rodriguez and the Brewers. So far this season, McLain has looked excellent with three home runs, five RBI, a stolen base, and a .366 wOBA. Per Statcast, he already has four barrels and an xwOBA of .420. He's hitting the ball well and should give the Reds' struggling lineup a boost in his return on Saturday.
Matt McLain Scratched With Tight Hamstring, Spencer Steer Enters Lineup
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (hamstring) has been scratched from the lineup on Friday against the division-rival Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field with a tight left hamstring, which happened a few days ago, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Charlie Goldsmith. McLain was out on the field to start pre-game warmups but then met with trainers before heading to the clubhouse. With McLain now out of the lineup, Santiago Espinal will start at second base and will hit eighth against Brewers left-hander Tyler Alexander. Spencer Steer, who was originally scheduled for a day off, will now serve as the designated hitter and bat second. Jeimer Candelario is at third and hitting fifth. For now, fantasy managers should remove McLain from their starting lineups and consider him day-to-day. The 25-year-old former first-rounder has six hits in his first 27 at-bats this year, but with three homers, five RBI and one steal.
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain went 2-for-3 with a homer, a walk, four runs, and three RBI in a 14-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Monday. McLain continued his hot start to the season by swatting a two-run homer off Kumar Rocker in the first inning of the lopsided win. The 25-year-old already has three homers in his first four games of the season after hitting 16 to go along with 14 steals in 89 games in 2024. McLain is emerging as a power/speed threat in fantasy leagues and should consistently find his way into fantasy lineups moving forward.
One MLB evaluator said this week that by the end of the 2024 season, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain and shortstop Elly De La Cruz will be the best second base/shortstop tandem in baseball. McLain, a former 17th overall pick in 2021 out of UCLA, actually had a better rookie season in 2023 than De La Cruz, hitting .290/.357/.507 with an .864 OPS, 16 home runs, 50 RBI, 14 steals and 65 runs scored in 89 games. However, the 25-year-old missed all of last year due to rib and shoulder injuries, which has left the 5-foot-8, 180-pounder as somewhat of a forgotten man. McLain doesn't look like a power hitter, but he is frequently barreling baseballs and has hit .350 (7-for-20) with a homer and three RBI in his first seven Cactus League games this spring. Don't sleep on McLain, who is RotoBaller's No.5-ranked fantasy second baseman.
Matt McLain
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Reds
