Reds manager Terry Francona said Monday that McLain (calf) will stay with Triple-A Louisville on a rehab assignment to begin the week, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
Though McLain has been on the shelf for less than three weeks due to a left calf strain, the Reds aren't looking to rush him back from his rehab assignment. Francona said he believes that picking up some more at-bats at a lower-pressure environment at Triple-A will be beneficial for McLain, who was hitting just .190/.293/.328 over 309 plate appearances on the season for Cincinnati before going on the injured list. After going 3-for-10 with two doubles through his first three games with Louisville, McLain will likely play in at least a couple more contests in the minors before the Reds consider activating him. Once he's reinstated, McLain could have an avenue to steady playing time after the Reds placed Spencer Steer (wrist) on the IL on Monday.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Gets four ABs in rehab game
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McLain (calf) served as the designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in a rehab game for Triple-A Louisville on Saturday.
McLain made his second rehab appearance with Louisville, after he started at shortstop and played six innings Friday. He can be activated from the 10-day injured list at any point and could be a candidate to rejoin the Reds prior to the start of a three-game set against the Guardians on Monday.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Begins rehab assignment
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McLain (calf) went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored for Triple-A Louisville on Friday.
McLain was assigned to Louisville on Friday to begin a rehab assignment. He started at shortstop and played six innings. The Reds are hopeful he can return this coming week.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Rehab assignment coming
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McLain (calf) will begin a rehab assignment Friday at Triple-A Louisville, MLB.com reports.
McLain is scheduled to play both shortstop and second base while on rehab, which suggests at least a two-day stay on assignment. Prior to the calf injury, McLain got emergency work in center field, but he may no longer be needed in the outfield, as Dane Myers returned from his injury.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Scheduled for batting practice
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McLain (calf) will take batting practice on the field in Seattle on Monday, MLB.com reports.
McLain rejoined the Reds on their current road trip, which moved from Colorado this weekend to Seattle for a three-game set against the Mariners beginning Monday. He's been doing on-field work with teammates and can be activated at any point. By bringing McLain on the road with them, the Reds are signalling an imminent return. Possibly for this series in Seattle or the next in St. Louis.
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Reds' Matt McLain: First career start in center field
Rotowire
McLain will start in center field and bat eighth in Wednesday's game versus the Brewers.
McLain played a frame in center field Tuesday after entering that contest as a pinch hitter, and now he's making his first career start at the position. If he proves capable of handling center field defensively, McLain could draw regular starts there against lefties while Blake Dunn (elbow) and Dane Myers (shoulder) are shelved.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Plays inning in center field
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McLain entered Tuesday's game as a pinch hitter and played an inning in center field. He went 0-for-1 and caught a line drive in a 7-2 loss to the Brewers.
McLain pinch hit for center fielder TJ Friedl in the eighth inning before finishing the game in the outfield -- his first time playing there as a major-leaguer. Normally an infielder, McLain did pregame drills in the center field the last two days and could get more work in games there as the Reds cope with injuries to Blake Dunn (elbow) and Dane Myers (shoulder).
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Reds' Matt McLain: Works out in center field
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McLain worked out in center field pregame Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.
The Reds have lost Blake Dunn (elbow) and Dane Myers (shoulder) indefinitely, creating a need for a right-handed-hitting center fielder. McLain has never played the outfield in pro ball, but he was used there extensively in college at UCLA and also saw some action in center field during the Arizona Fall League. Edwin Arroyo has surged past McLain as the Reds' top option at second base versus righties, so McLain proving capable in the outfield would give him another path to playing time.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Taking seat for second straight day
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McLain is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates.
Cincinnati will go with Elly De La Cruz and Edwin Arroyo as its starters in the middle infield for the second day in a row while McLain is relegated to the bench. Arroyo has generated a modest .644 OPS since his call-up from Triple-A Louisville on June 1 and may need to improve his production to seize control of the everyday job at second base, but McLain hasn't done much to earn himself a larger share of the playing time. After going hitless in eight at-bats over his last three starts, his batting average has dropped to .198 on the season.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
McLain is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest against the Brewers.
McLain served as the Reds' everyday shortstop while Elly De La Cruz was out, but De La Cruz is back to man the position Tuesday. Though he will likely see the bulk of reps at second base moving forward, McLain will cede the position to Edwin Arroyo on Tuesday.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Run at SS ending
Rotowire
McLain started at shortstop and went 0-for-3 in Monday's 2-1 extra-inning loss to Milwaukee.
McLain's started 17 of the last 19 games while operating as the primary fill-in for the injured Elly De La Cruz (hamstring), who is expected to be activated from the injured list Tuesday. De La Cruz's return should put an end to McLain's time as a regular presence in the starting nine. The offensive production he generated during the first week of his residency at shortstop (1.319 OPS over seven games) suggested McLain was moving past a season-opening slump, but he's slipped back since, going 5-for-33 (.152) with a .475 OPS and zero RBI over the last 11 contests.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Goes deep in loss
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McLain started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-5 loss to St. Louis.
McLain launched his sixth home run of the season in the fourth inning, giving Cincinnati a 5-3 lead. He's started at shortstop in four of five games since Elly De La Cruz (hamstring) landed on the injured list. Edwin Arroyo started the other contest. De La Cruz has begun light baseball activity and will undergo an MRI checkup June 12, and he appears headed for a relatively brief IL stint.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Filling in at shortstop
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McLain started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to Kansas City.
McLain has started all three games at shortstop since Elly De La Cruz (hamstring) landed on the injured list. The Reds have slotted McLain in as the No. 9 hitter in all three games, while outfielder JJ Bleday has moved up to the No. 2 spot in the order in place of De La Cruz.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Enters for injured teammate
Rotowire
McLain entered Sunday's game as a pinch runner for the injured Elly De La Cruz (hamstring) and finished the game at shortstop. He went 0-for-1 with a run scored.
McLain has experienced a reduction in playing time as the result of a silent bat. He's batting .038 (1-for-26) over his last eight games, and the Reds are using second base to get at-bats for Spencer Steer, who no longer has an everyday home in the outfield. De La Cruz is set to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of his injury. If he needs to miss time, the door to the starting lineup should reopen for McLain.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Checking out of starting nine
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McLain is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta.
After going 0-for-2 with a walk in Saturday's 5-2 loss, the struggling McLain will head back to the bench for the third time in four games. The Reds will go with Spencer Steer at the keystone over McLain, who appears to be fading into a part-time role.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Handed night off
Rotowire
McLain is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.
The Reds will give Spencer Steer a look at second base while McLain takes a seat after starting in the team's last three games. Though McLain has most commonly been deployed out of the No. 2 spot this season, he's made his last two starts as the Reds' No. 9 hitter while manager Terry Francona has handed the hot-hitting Blake Dunn more opportunities near the top of the lineup. McLain's slide down the batting order coincides with him recording just three hits and striking out 11 times in 34 at-bats over his last eight games.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Moves up order
Rotowire
McLain batted leadoff and went 0-for-5 with an RBI in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Phillies.
McLain had spent a good portion of May in the bottom third of the order, but a productive 11-game stretch (1.067 OPS, three HR, 10 RBI) prompted manager Terry Francona to put him atop the order the last two games, once each against a lefty and righty. Although it didn't work out Tuesday, the manager has noodled around with various leadoff options after seemingly moving away from the slumping TJ Friedl. McLain was a staple and thrived in the upper third of the order when he first arrived to the big leagues in 2023.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Sitting Saturday
Rotowire
McLain is not in the Reds' starting lineup against the Pirates on Saturday.
McLain has struggled at the plate as of late, having gone 3-for-24 (.125) with one steal, one RBI and 10 strikeouts over his last six games. He'll be on the bench for the start of Saturday's game while Sal Stewart starts at second base and bats in the cleanup spot.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Taking seat Saturday
Rotowire
McLain isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels.
McLain will step out of the starting nine Saturday after going 0-for-4 to begin the series Friday. His absence will move Sal Stewart to second base while Nathaniel Lowe starts at first, batting sixth.
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Reds' Matt McLain: Logs first steal
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McLain went 0-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Sunday's 2-1 win over Texas.
McLain put himself in scoring position when he stole second base after leading off the eighth inning with a walk. He scored the game-winning run on an Elly De La Cruz single. The steal was the first in nine games for McLain, who had double-digit swipes in 2023 and 2025.
