Edwin Arroyo's struggles have made one Reds roster move feel inevitable

The Cincinnati Reds were forced to call up Edwin Arroyo back in June when Elly De La Cruz was placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained hamstring. But with De La Cruz back to full strength, there's nothing forcing the Reds to keep him on the Major League roster.

Arroyo was considered by many to be a top-100 prospect before his big league debut on June 1, and there's no denying that he's got tremendous potential. But after two months on the active roster, it's apparent that he needs more seasoning in the minor leagues.

Reds must swap Edwin Arroyo for Matt McLain immediately

Matt McLain (calf) is currently rehabbing at Triple-A Louisville, but that assignment should come to an end before the Reds play another game. It's time for Cincinnati to activate McLain from the IL and option Arroyo back to Triple-A Louisville.

Arroyo, much like McLain, missed all of the 2024 season after suffering a shoulder injury during spring training. He returned to the diamond in 2025, and after a slow start, began to show flashes of the player he was reported to be. During the final two months of his 2025 season at Double-A, Arroyo hit .292/.356/.361 with a 108 wRC+.

Arroyo's performance and pedigree netted him a spot on the Reds' 40-man roster this past offseason and he was assigned to Triple-A to begin the year. In 53 games with the Louisville Bats, he hit .323/.383/.562 with 11 home runs and a 142 wRC+.

But that level of play has failed to translate to the big leagues. Since his MLB debut almost two months ago, Arroyo is hitting just .244/.286/.282 with a 54 wRC+. He's yet to record his first Major League home run, and his defense has been questionable at best. Granted, he's learning second base on the fly after spending almost his entire minor-league career at shortstop.

It's not as if McLain's bat hasn't let him down this season either. Before his injury, he was hitting just .190/.293/.328 with eight homers and a 71 wRC+. McLain's glove, however, is far better than Arroyo's at the keystone, as evidenced by his 4 outs above average (OAA) at second base in 2026.

This is a rather straight forward swap, and one that shouldn't require any hesitation on the part of Nick Krall and the Reds front office. McLain's made four rehab appearances and has gone 5-for-14 with two doubles. The Reds are hurting Arroyo's development and the team's chances by keeping him on the active roster right now.

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