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: 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: 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: 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: 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.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Piles on in win
Rotowire
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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Reds' Matt McLain: Slumping again
Rotowire
McLain went 0-for-3 in Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Pirates.
McLain is 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts over the last four games. On May 13, manager Terry Francona dropped him from second in the order to the lower third, and McLain looked like he was breaking out of a season-opening slump while going 6-for-18, but the pendulum has swung back in the subsequent four contests. Both his strikeout (32.8) and whiff (31.0) percentages have increased relative to his rookie 2023 season. The good news is that McLain makes solid contact when he does hit the ball, with an 11.8 barrel percentage and 47.3 percent hard-hit rate.
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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.
