Reds can’t keep ignoring the obvious answer to Matt McLain’s inconsistency

Matt McLain was supposed to be a key part of the Cincinnati Reds' success this season. Now two full years removed from shoulder surgery, the thought among most fans (and the coaching staff) was that McLain was going to take his rightful place atop the Reds' batting order and help lead the offense to great heights in 2026. Unfortunately, he's fallen woefully short of those expectations.

McLain's defense is second to none. No one is going to argue that. He's been worth 3 outs above average (OAA) this season and can pick it with the best of them. But as Reds fans have already seen with Ke'Bryan Hayes this season, being a glove-first (and sometimes glove-only) player is not going to cut it.

McLain's above-average defense at the keystone has conveniently overshadowed his .198/.296/.326 slash line. In fact, those numbers are eerily similar to what he put up in 2025 (.220/.300/.343).

McLain offered the Reds a glimpse of his talent earlier this month when Terry Francona bumped him down in the batting order. That resulted in a .273/.360/.545 line with a 150 wRC+ over a 14-game stretch. But recently, he's fallen backwards once again and is 1-for-23 over his last five games.

The former first-round pick is a shadow of the player Reds fans remember from his rookie season in 2023. Whether McLain is still dealing with the effects of his shoulder surgery or it's something else entirely is irrelevant. Cincinnati's coaching staff cannot continue to watch McLain drag the lineup down, especially with a viable replacement sitting in the minor leagues. It's time for the Reds to call up Edwin Arroyo.

Edwin Arroyo could force Matt McLain off the Reds active roster

Arroyo has done nothing but rake this season. Heading into play on Tuesday, he's hitting .344/.402/.595 with 10 home runs, 33 RBI, and a 156 wRC+ in 48 games. In case you forgot, Sal Stewart received a September call-up to the big leagues during a playoff run after hitting .315/.394/.629 with 10 home runs, 36 RBI, and a 164 wRC+ in 38 games at Triple-A last season.

It's clear that Arroyo is deserving of a big-league promotion, but how Reds actually make the switch is a bit more complicated. While a simple one-for-one swap could be on the table, McLain's a valued member of the Reds' clubhouse and it's difficult to just send such a player back to the minor leagues without messing up team chemistry. Cincinnati is fighting that same battle with TJ Friedl.

The Reds could take the easy way out and option Will Benson back to the minor leagues in order to promote Arroyo to the active roster. Cincinnati could then operate a sort of platoon at second base with McLain and Arroyo, but that seems like a less than ideal solution.

Arroyo is forcing his way into the conversation, and at some point, McLain's play may have little to do with the front office's decision to promote their top prospect. But the longer he struggles, the more obvious the Reds' decision becomes.

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