Sobering Edwin Arroyo reality might impact Reds' next call-up

Fair or not, most Cincinnati Reds fans expected top prospect Edwin Arroyo to hit the ground running after making his Major League debut last week. Arroyo showed some flashes during his first few games in the bigs, but he certainly hasn't set the world on fire.

Frankly, that used to be the expectation for almost any young rookie who just received a call-up to majors. The big-league game moves much faster than the upper levels of the minors, and even the most talked-about prospects can have some struggles upon their promotion.

Through his first 25 plate appearances, Arroyo is hitting .227 with five base hits — all singles — and nine strikeouts. He's seen time at both second base and shortstop, and will continue to receive plenty of run until Elly De La Cruz returns from the injured list.

But Arroyo's ascension to the big leagues should serve as somewhat of a cautionary tale for the Reds when it comes to another one of their top prospects, Hector Rodriguez. The outfielder has been just as hot at the dish as Arroyo was before his promotion, but Cincinnati has little need to accelerate his call-up.

Reds don't need to rush Hector Rodriguez to the big leagues

On the year, the 22-year-old Rodriguez is hitting .278/.355/.478 with 11 home runs, 31 RBI, and a 115 wRC+. Over the past two weeks, however, those numbers have looked even better. In his last 12 games, Rodriguez posted a .333/.444/.711 slash line with four round-trippers, seven RBI, and a 194 wRC+.

But the Reds don't necessarily need Rodriguez's bat on the big league roster at this time. As it is, Terry Francona and the coaching staff are even struggling to find a spot in the lineup for the recently called up Noelvi Marte. Both Blake Dunn and JJ Bleday have become fixtures in the Reds' lineup, and on days when Spencer Steer is on the outfield dirt, it's almost impossible to find a spot in the batting order for Marte.

While the Reds would undoubtedly love to give Rodriguez some chances to face Major League pitching, staying the course at Triple-A is the most logical decision at the moment. Even if Cincinnati was to cut ties with Will Benson, calling up Rodriguez to fill a bench role would not be the most prudent move.

There are only so many at-bats to go around — even Arroyo is finding that out the hard way. He's come on as a late-inning replacement in four of the first eight games he's played. That's far from the ideal scenario for Arroyo or any other Reds prospect.

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