Sal Stewart mania has one Reds player hanging by a thread

There's no denying the hype surrounding Sal Stewart. After a recent promotion to Triple-A Louisville back in July, the No. 1 prospect in the Cincinnati Reds farm system is now on the cusp of the big leagues. With the Reds on the outside of the NL Wild Card chase, having Stewart's bat in the lineup could be the difference between a trip to the postseason and sitting at home in October.

Stewart has been hitting the cover off the ball since landing in the Derby City. In 26 games with the Louisville Bats, Stewart is hitting .323/.393/.636 with 13 doubles, six home runs, and 20 RBI. His bat would slot in nicely in the middle of the Reds' batting order, but if the front office is going to make the call, they'd need to clear a spot on the active roster.

Matt McLain has endured a difficult season, and Reds fans watched him strike out four times during Saturday's extra-innings loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. While McLain put up fantastic numbers during his rookie campaign in 2023, his fall from grace in 2025 has some fans calling for him to be replaced by Stewart over the final six weeks of the season.

Sal Stewart mania has Reds infielder Matt McLain hanging by a thread

McLain has already seen a downturn in playing time this month. Manager Terry Fracona has used a combination of Santiago Espinal and Gavin Lux at the keystone of late, and while McLain's defense is above-average, the Reds cannot afford to have his bat dragging down the lineup.

Francona recently bumped McLain back down to the bottom-third of the batting order — a signal that this could be his last chance to prove himself before the team is forced to turn to their young prospect.

Stewart has done everything he can to force the Reds' hand, and McLain has done nothing to prove that deserves to remain in the everyday lineup. Nevertheless, this is the type of move that could backfire in a hurry if Stewart is unable to adjust to Major League pitching on the fly.

The alternative, of course, is to ignore the youngster and keep rolling with the combination of McLain, Lux, and Espinal at second base while Stewart continues to mash in the minors.

Adding Stewart to the roster is not a guarantee by any stretch of the imagination, but sticking with McLain has been a fruitless endeavor this season. Heading into play on Sunday, he's hitting just .222 with a .635 OPS. That's a far cry from the player who clobbered 16 homers and posted an .864 OPS just two years ago. McLain's poor performance may leave Cincinnati no choice but to roll the dice with their 21-year-old rookie.

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