The Cincinnati Reds have already sent eight players to compete in this year’s Arizona Fall League. Among them are top prospect Edwin Arroyo and first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, both of whom faced significant injuries earlier in the spring. They will be part of the Glendale Desert Dogs roster.
Joining Arroyo and Encarnacion-Strand in the desert this month is another familiar face—Matt McLain, who missed the entire 2024 season due to a shoulder injury. McLain will participate in the AFL for the second time.
Matt McLain joins Edwin Arroyo & Christian Encarnacion-Strand on Reds’ Arizona Fall League roster
Earlier this year, the Cincinnati Reds were caught off guard when Noelvi Marte was handed an 80-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. However, there wasn’t much panic within Reds Country at the time, as Cincinnati had added Jeimer Candelario in the offseason and had a deep pool of young infielders to balance the roster.
The #Reds have added Matt McLain to their Arizona Fall League roster.
The 2021 first-rounder — who played in the AFL in 2022 — missed the entire 2024 season after getting left shoulder surgery in March: https://t.co/str3LLBaEL pic.twitter.com/98BdbzgyQN
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 1, 2024
But things quickly took a turn for the worse. TJ Friedl broke his wrist, and both Edwin Arroyo and Matt McLain suffered shoulder injuries, putting the Reds in a difficult spot. Christian Encarnacion-Strand also got hit by a pitch early in the season, eventually requiring wrist surgery and landing on the 60-day IL.
As a result, the Reds made a preseason trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, acquiring All-Star second baseman Santiago Espinal in exchange for a minor-league pitcher. With McLain out, Jonathan India took over as the Reds’ everyday second baseman this past season.
McLain tried to return in August but was sidelined again after suffering a rib injury, ending his season. Now, the former first-round pick is set to head to the Arizona Fall League, aiming to regain form ahead of spring training next year. This will be a crucial step in his rehab, as the 24-year-old was arguably the Reds’ best player last year, and his absence was deeply felt this season.
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