McLain is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
After going 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in Saturday's 11-inning loss, the slumping McLain will head to the bench for the fourth time in seven games. He's slashing .225/.250/.250 with a 38.6 percent strikeout rate since the start of August, and until he begins to make more contact, McLain could have to settle for a part-time role at second base. Santiago Espinal will occupy the keystone Sunday.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Off day Wednesday
Rotowire
McLain is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.
McLain will take a breather, and Santiago Espinal will man second base and bat eighth Wednesday. Over the last 30 days, McLain has slashed .279/.326/.349 with one home run, seven RBI, 11 runs scored, three stolen bases and a 7:26 BB:K. The extra-base power hasn't been there for McLain this season. After slugging .507 as a rookie in 2023, McLain missed the 2024 season and has slugged just .339 across 452 plate appearances this year.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Moved down to eight spot
Rotowire
McLain will start at second base and bat eighth in Monday's game versus the Phillies.
After receiving a day off Sunday, McLain is all the way down in the No. 8 spot Monday, which is the first time since June 21 that he's batted anywhere other than first or second in a start. McLain has collected jus a .648 OPS since the beginning of July. Spencer Steer has been elevated to the two hole for the Reds.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Receiving day off
Rotowire
McLain is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.
He's gone 4-for-11 with a walk while starting the first three games of the series in Pittsburgh, but McLain will receive a breather on getaway day. Gavin Lux will step in at second base and bat second.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Exiting starting nine
Rotowire
McLain is not in the lineup for Wednesday's tilt against the Cubs.
McLain looks to be receiving a routine day off after starting in each of the previous 11 contests. Gavin Lux will get the nod at second base as the Reds try to complete the sweep.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Raps two hits, RBI in win
Rotowire
McLain went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Rays.
The Reds plated two runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, and McLain had a role in all three rallies. He's hit safely in 10 of 11 games, going 15-for-44 (.341) with three extra-base hits, four RBI, three walks, a stolen base and six runs scored during that stretch. His batting average is up to .220, its highest point since April 3.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Exiting starting nine
Rotowire
McLain is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Nationals.
McLain will get a well-earned rest day after he had started every game for the Reds since June 3. Gavin Lux will play second base and occupy the No. 2 spot in the lineup in McLain's stead.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Matches career steal mark
Rotowire
McLain went 1-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Mets.
McLain had a hand in both Cincinnati runs. His first-inning single contributed to the the first run, and then he walked and stole a base before scoring a game-tying run in the eighth. The steal was his 14th through 90 games, tying the career-high mark he established as a rookie over 89 games in 2023.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Two XBH in win
Rotowire
McLain went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a home run, two RBI and an additional run scored in Friday's 8-4 win over the Mets.
McLain launched a two-run homer in the fourth inning to give Cincinnati the lead and later doubled and scored in the seventh. The first half of the season was a grind for McLain, but he hit .287 during the month of June and got himself on a run just before the All-Star break. McLain has hit safely in six of seven contests, including multiple hits in the last three, going 9-for-28 (.321) with two homers, two doubles, three RBI and six runs.
McLain went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 12-2 loss to the Marlins.
McLain got the Reds out early with a first-inning home run, his 10th of the season and first in 14 games. The long ball snapped an 0-for-18 run for McLain, who's batting just .107 (3-for-28) during the month of July.
McLain went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Monday's 13-6 loss to Boston.
McLain has cooled off a bit since he was moved from the bottom of the order to second, but he's still hitting much better than he was through much of April and May. In the eight games since the promotion, McLain is batting .250 (8-for-32) with a home run, a double, four RBI and six runs scored. His .213 batting average is the highest its been since early April.
McLain batted second and went 0-for-5 with a run scored in Tuesday's 5-4 extra-innings win over the Yankees.
McLain was moved up to second in the order the previous two games against right-handers and was used in that same spot against a lefty Tuesday. It appears a recent surge has locked him in as the second hitter against pitchers of either handedness. Prior to his promotion up the batting order, McLain had batted .327 with a .917 OPS over 16 contests.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Slugs homer as No. 2 hitter
Rotowire
McLain went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 4-1 win over St. Louis.
McLain gave the Reds an early lead when he belted a first-inning home run, which extended his hit streak to 10 games. A season-opening slump prompted manager Terry Francona to drop McLain to eighth or ninth in the order over the last several weeks, but he moved into the No. 2 spot Sunday for just the second time since mid-May. In his last 15 games, McLain has posted a .340/.421/.560 line with three home runs and eight RBI, and his continued surge at the plate could result in him settling into the two hole on a more consistent basis.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Deposits pair of doubles
Rotowire
McLain went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored in Saturday's 6-5 loss to the Cardinals.
McLain continued his strong June, extending his hitting streak to nine games while notching his first three-hit performance of the season. The 25-year-old has struggled overall in 2025, slashing just .209/.302/.340 with 15 extra-base hits and 26 RBI through 68 games. However, he appears to be rounding into form and showing flashes of his 2023 self, when he posted a .290/.357/.507 line with 43 extra-base hits and 50 RBI in only 89 games.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Adds to productive stretch in win
Rotowire
McLain went 1-for-2 with an RBI in Wednesday's 4-2 win over the Twins.
McLain has been a pretty big disappointment with a .619 OPS this season, but he's slowly beginning to find a rhythm recently. The 25-year-old second baseman is slashing .293/.396/.463 with two home runs, two doubles and eight RBI over his last 48 plate appearances (13 games). McLain lost all of last season due to injury and has consistently hit ninth for over a month, but perhaps manager Terry Francona will consider moving the middle infielder back up the order if he continues to swing a hot bat.
McLain went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 11-1 win over the Tigers.
McLain's three-run blast in the eighth inning provided further cushion for Cincinnati in the blowout win. Even though he's gone a respectable 7-for-26 at the plate over his last eight games, McLain is still batting just .186 on the season on the heels of a rough April and May. He continues to bat ninth in the order on a regular basis, though he'll elevate to the No. 2 spot for Sunday's series finale while the Tigers send left-handed opener Tyler Holton to the hill.
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