Elly De La Cruz's injury just saved Matt McLain's Reds roster spot (for now)

Matt McLain's 2026 struggles made it seem as if his days on the Cincinnati Reds big league roster were numbered. Edwin Arroyo's surge, combined with the poor performance of the once-promising second baseman, made it feel as if a change was coming sooner rather than later. Then Elly De La Cruz came up lame, appearing to injure his hamstring against the Atlanta Braves

The injury is a massive blow for Cincinnati, which had been leaning hard on the star shortstop to carry the load. De La Cruz had been in a mini-slump, going just 1-for-12 coming into play on May 31, but a 2-for-2 day with a walk was just what the doctor ordered...that is, until he got hurt.

How severe the injury is remains to be seen, but the door is now wide open for Arroyo to make his big league debut without McLain serving as the sacrificial lamb.

Edwin Arroyo and Matt McLain may be able to co-exist on the Reds roster

There's no guarantee that De La Cruz actually misses time. Cincinnati's iron man entered 2026 by playing 322 of a possible 324 games, and played through a hamstring strain last year that sapped his performance during the second half.

But if the 24-year-old does require an IL stint, Arroyo should get his chance to prove he belongs at the highest level. McLain, then, has a new lease on life.

Depending on how long De La Cruz needs to be sidelined, strong performances could prove that both McLain and Arroyo belong, solidifying their spots on the roster by the time the Reds' cornerstone is activated from the IL.

In that case, the pair can still co-exist alongside De La Cruz, thanks to a few key factors. For one, Cincinnati has struggling outfielders like Will Benson and TJ Friedl, who can both be sent down to Louisville. Beyond that, the uber-versatile Spencer Steer can move off of second base, a position that he's been playing more frequently as the club has grown tired of McLain scuffling, and pick up more outfield reps.

Beyond that, Arroyo has the versatility now to play both the keystone and the hot corner, in addition to his natural shortstop. That gives the Reds a variety of options to find optimal alignments once at full strength.

The key will be McLain actually playing well. There was some hope that it was the recovery from his shoulder injury that led to his drastic drop-off in 2025, but that no longer seems like a plausible excuse. He's basically a cat on his ninth life, so now we'll have to wait and see what he can do with what could be his final opportunity.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow