Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Seattle Mariners at Great American Ball Park. Gavin Lux is starting at the keystone and will hit fifth against Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock. McLain recently returned from the injured list and went 1-for-6 with an RBI, two runs scored, three walks and a strikeout in his first two games back. The Reds will give the 25-year-old former first-rounder a breather before a weekend series in Baltimore against the Orioles that starts on Friday. As long as he stays healthy, McLain will operate as Cincy's primary second baseman and should be relevant in mixed fantasy leagues for his power/speed combination. Lux, also a former first-rounder, is off to a .276 (16-for-58) start for the Reds but is still searching for his first home run.

The Cincinnati Reds announced that they have activated infielder Matt McLain (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list, and he is starting at second base and batting second on Tuesday against the visiting Seattle Mariners and right-hander Luis Castillo at Great American Ball Park. McLain will be back in the lineup for the first time since straining his hamstring on April 4. With McLain returning, Gavin Lux moves back to left field and will hit cleanup on Tuesday. McLain, a former first-rounder out of UCLA, did have three home runs in his first eight games before getting injured, but he had also gone just 7-for-28 (.214) in his first 31 plate appearances. It's been a bit of a slow start for the 25-year-old after he missed all of the 2024 campaign, but he's worth rostering in most fantasy leagues for his power/speed upside in a great home hitting environment in Cincy. He has never faced Castillo in his career. Manager Terry Francona said the team may have to manage playing McLain every day over the next week, but other than that he has no limitations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain has been focusing on playing second base to begin spring training, according to manager Terry Francona. It's worth noting that McLain did take grounders at shortstop, but it seems like second base is going to be his primary home. He was one of the best rookies in 2023, but sadly injuries held McLain back in 2024. Both the Reds and fantasy managers are a bit uncertain what exactly they will be getting from McLain in 2025. There's certainly plenty of upside here, but also a bit of a risk that he'll get back to hitting like he did in 2023.

According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain could see time in the outfield in 2025. Earlier this week, the Cincinnati Reds traded for second baseman Gavin Lux which complicates their infield depth chart. While Lux could eventually move to the hot corner, McLain has begun to see time in the outfielder during the Arizona Fall League which suggests the team could deploy McLain in a super utility role in 2025. After a promising rookie campaign in 2023, McLain missed the entire 2024 season due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder. In his rookie season, the 25-year-old posted a strong .290/.357/.507 line with 23 doubles, 16 home runs, and 14 stolen bases. Under the hood, he generated a solid 10.8% barrel rate and a .332 xwOBA. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor where McLain plays in 2025 as he could carry high value in all fantasy formats having multiple positional eligibility with the ability to produce in all five standard categories.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain went 3-for-5 with three RBI, a run scored, and stole his first base of the Arizona Fall League on Thursday while manning second base for the Glendale Desert Dogs. The 25-year-old is getting back into the swing of things after missing all of the 2024 regular season due to injury. Through 50 AFL at-bats, McLain is hitting .240 with a pair of doubles and four home runs. When last healthy, the former first-round draft pick put up a .290-16-50-65-14 line in just 89 games in 2023 and could be an under-the-radar value in 2025 fantasy drafts, although it is unclear whether he or former Rookie of the Year Jonathan India will be playing second base for Cincinnati. If McLain were to gain OF eligibility, a position which he's played a little in the AFL, it could make him even more useful for fantasy.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain smacked a pair of two-run home runs in a 2-for-5 day at the plate for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League (AFL), his third and fourth homers of the fall season. The 25-year-old missed all of the 2024 regular season due to injuries and is in the AFL trying to knock off some of the rust, while even getting some playing time in the outfield, although Monday he was back at the keystone. Through 11 games in the AFL, McLain is hitting just .220, but six of his nine hits have gone for extra bases. The former first-round draft pick offers multi-category production when healthy and could be a nice value pick in 2025 fantasy drafts since he isn't top-of-mind after missing 2024. When last healthy, McLain put up a .290-16-50-65-14 line in just 89 games in 2023.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain was starting in center field on Tuesday for the Glendale Desert Dogs in the Arizona Fall League. While the 25-year-old hit a home run in the contest, the fact that he was playing the outfield was perhaps the more intriguing development. He missed all of 2024 with injuries, but when he last played for the Reds in his rookie season of 2023, the former first-round draft pick played only second base or shortstop. As the AFL is where a lot of top talent goes to get some extra reps and potentially work on some specific skills, it seems the Reds are seeing if this gives them some flexibility in how McLain is deployed, as they already have plenty of infield talent including Elly De La Cruz, former NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India, and more. When last healthy, McLain put up a .290-16-50-65-14 line in just 89 games in 2023, so the added versatility could be another way to get his bat in the lineup in 2025.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand (hand), Matt McLain (shoulder) and Edwin Arroyo (shoulder) will play in the Arizona Fall League, which began play on Monday. Both McLain and Arroyo missed all of 2024 after suffering shoulder injuries. McLain also dealt with a stress reaction in his rib cage. He is slated to play shortstop, second base and center field in the AFL, and he could also play in the outfield. If fully healthy in 2025, McLain is expected to mostly see time at second in Cincinnati. Encarnacion-Strand was limited to 29 games before suffering a season-ending hand injury in June that required surgery. He will be available to play first and third base in the AFL and could also see action in the outfield. The 24-year-old will need to prove himself in spring training in order to find consistent playing time to open the 2025 campaign.

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that infielder Matt McLain (rib, shoulder) is pain-free now and will resume baseball activities to see how he progresses. McLain has been out all season, first because of surgery on his left shoulder and most recently a stress reaction in his rib cage. The Reds and McLain are still holding out hope that he can return in the final couple of weeks of the 2024 season, which would be nice, but the point of him being fantasy relevant in 2024 has come and gone. It's been a frustrating year for the 25-year-old middle infielder and any fantasy managers that invested in him back in the spring after he had an impressive .290/.357/.507 slash line with 16 home runs, 50 RBI and 14 steals in 89 games in his rookie campaign in 2023. If McLain can get back to full health in the offseason, he should be a big part of Cincy's plans in 2025.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (rib, shoulder) could resume swinging a bat soon, according to manager David Bell. "He's still getting tested. Different testing to get to the root cause of some of the pain he's having in his side. We're getting toward the end of that. Everything is checking out good so far. Maybe he gets back into swinging again shortly," Bell said. While recovering from surgery on his left shoulder, McLain suffered a setback with a stress reaction in his rib cage in early August. The team is still trying to determine the cause of that, but it sounds like the 25-year-old could resume baseball activities sooner than later. The Reds remain hopeful that the second-year infielder can return in the season's final month, but fantasy managers shouldn't be expecting anything out of him in what has become a lost season after such a promising rookie campaign for the former first-rounder from UCLA.