Matt McLain's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain (oblique) took 70 swings on Friday and is set to have live-at bats on Wednesday for the upcoming week. McLain has been shut down since he tweaked his right oblique early in spring training. The 24-year-old has progressed well from his oblique injury and no longer feels soreness. In his rookie season, McLain was excellent for the Reds, slashing .290/.357/.507 with 16 home runs, 50 RBI, and 14 stolen bases across 403 plate appearances. It's unclear if McLain will be ready for Opening Day, but he still has time to ramp up his activity and could return to action soon.

Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell said that second baseman Matt McLain (oblique) is progressing well and is going through a lot of core/medicine-ball work. The next step for McLain is light swinging. McLain tweaked his right oblique early in spring training and was shut down for five to seven days, so he should resume light baseball activities in the next few days so that the Reds can see where he's at. Depending on how he bounces back, though, there's a chance the 24-year-old won't be ready by Opening Day. Before an oblique injury ended his rookie season in 2023, McLain was excellent for the Reds, hitting .290/.357/.507 with 16 homers, 50 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 365 at-bats. The underlying numbers suggest that the former first-rounder will face some regression in Year 2, though, and the fact that oblique is still bothering him is also concerning for fantasy managers.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Matt McLain (oblique) tweaked his oblique in the area where he had last year's injury, although an MRI exam was clear. He'll be sidelined for five to seven days, but it "shouldn't" keep him from being ready for the season opener, according to manager David Bell. However, the next five to seven days will give the team a better idea of where McLain stands. It's not a good sign for the 24-year-old, even if there's still time before Opening Day. If he isn't ready for the first game of the regular season, Jonathan India would be the obvious candidate to start at the keystone for the Reds. McLain broke out in his rookie year in 2023 and earned the primary gig at second over India, although his season was cut short by his oblique injury late last year.

A right-oblique strain ended Cincinnati Reds middle infielder Matt McLain's impressive rookie season early. Had he not missed the final month of the season, he might have finished higher than fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. The 24-year-old slashed .290/.357/.507 with 16 home runs and 50 RBI in only 89 games and was second among NL rookies in batting and third with an .864 OPS. "I'm back to 100%," McLain said. "I've been swinging and stuff. I think we've gotten up to 100 swings at this point in the offseason. I'm full-go. I'm 100%, doing everything. It's going well." The impressive young infielder is making adjustments this offseason and hopes to improve on hitting fastballs at the top of the strike zone in Year 2 in 2024. There's a lot to like about McLain, and he'll have eligibility at both second base and shortstop.