Matt McLain DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said he's pretty confident that second baseman Matt McLain (hamstring) will return from the 10-day injured list when he's eligible next Tuesday, April 15. The Reds placed McLain on the IL early this week as a precaution with a left-hamstring strain, and he should be able to rejoin the team early next week. Because the Reds don't seem very concerned with his injury, the 25-year-old will likely skip a minor-league rehab assignment altogether. Gavin Lux has seen some action at the keystone with McLain out this week, but Santiago Espinal is making the start at second and is batting eighth for the Reds on Friday. When McLain returns, he will return to starting duties at the position for the Reds. The former first-rounder looked great in his rookie season in 2023 before missing all of last year due to injury. He went 6-for-28 with three homers, a double and five RBI before his injury.

The Cincinnati Reds announced on Tuesday that they placed infielder Matt McLain (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 5) with a slight left-hamstring strain. In other moves, the team recalled outfielder Will Benson and infielder Noelvi Marte from Triple-A Louisville and optioned right-hander Carson Spiers to Louisville. Because it's considered a minor injury, the 25-year-old McLain could be ready to return from the IL as early as next week. Gavin Lux is making another start at second base on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants, but Santiago Espinal could also see starts at the keystone if Lux is moved back to the outfield. Benson and Marte will provide depth in the outfield and infield, respectively. McLain has hit just .214 (6-for-28) in his first eight games in 2025, but he did club three homers, and he is worth stashing in all fantasy leagues while he recovers.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (hamstring) will not return to the starting lineup for Monday's series opener at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants, but he'll be available off the bench. McLain did some supervised running and work on the field before the Reds made the call to hold him out for a fourth straight game due to left-hamstring soreness. Gavin Lux is starting at the keystone and is hitting cleanup for the Reds versus Giants right-hander Logan Webb. Fantasy managers should treat the 25-year-old McLain as day-to-day, and he could return to the lineup as early as Game 2 of the series on Tuesday. The former first-rounder is hitting only .214 (6-for-28) through his first eight games, but he does have three homers and five RBI. Lux has plenty of experience against Webb, batting .286 with three RBI in 21 career at-bats.