Matt McLain DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double, and an additional run scored during Thursday's 7-1 win over the White Sox. McLain has gotten off to a slow start in 2025, slashing .182/.308/.341, but the 25-year-old seems to be turning a corner. In his last nine games, McLain is 8-for-32 with a pair of home runs, six runs scored, and four stolen bases. He's now up to six home runs on the season. McLain missed all of 2024 with a shoulder injury, and he may have needed some additional time to get back into the swing of things. In 2023, during his rookie season, he slashed .290/.357/.507 in 403 plate appearances, so the production is in there, it's just taking more time for fantasy managers than they had hoped for when drafting him. McLain is a strong buy-low candidate, and those who have held on, hopefully, this recent stretch can show a sign of better things to come.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain has been dropped to eighth in the batting order for Tuesday's contest against the visiting Chicago White Sox and left-handed opener Brandon Eisert at Great American Ball Park. McLain is moving to the bottom of Cincy's lineup after hitting either leadoff or second in all 31 of his starts this year. It's because the 25-year-old former 17th overall pick in 2021 out of UCLA is hitting just .165/.299/.298 with five home runs, 15 RBI, 20 runs and 10 stolen bases in his 121 at-bats in 2025. McLain is valuable in most fantasy leagues for his power/speed combination in a strong Reds offense, but managers may want to bench him until he can string together some good games at the plate. He's gone 7-for-39 (.179) with a homer, five RBI, five steals and 15 strikeouts in 11 games played so far in May. Santiago Espinal moves into the two-hole on Tuesday with McLain dropping down.

Cincinnati Reds' second baseman Matt McLain will take a seat on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies, with right-hander Ryan Feltner starting for the Rockies. McLain has had a tough week, going 1-for-22 with 11 strikeouts. It was disappointing for fantasy managers to see McLain's production level this week, as the Reds had a smash spot for their hitters with a weekend series in Coors. This is an opportunity for McLain to reset after a tough week. In the meantime, Gavin Lux will play second base and Noelvi Marte will play third base, with Jeimer Candelario occupying the designated hitter spot in the lineup. Next up for the Reds is a seven-game home stand against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals.

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Seattle Mariners at Great American Ball Park. Gavin Lux is starting at the keystone and will hit fifth against Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock. McLain recently returned from the injured list and went 1-for-6 with an RBI, two runs scored, three walks and a strikeout in his first two games back. The Reds will give the 25-year-old former first-rounder a breather before a weekend series in Baltimore against the Orioles that starts on Friday. As long as he stays healthy, McLain will operate as Cincy's primary second baseman and should be relevant in mixed fantasy leagues for his power/speed combination. Lux, also a former first-rounder, is off to a .276 (16-for-58) start for the Reds but is still searching for his first home run.

The Cincinnati Reds announced that they have activated infielder Matt McLain (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list, and he is starting at second base and batting second on Tuesday against the visiting Seattle Mariners and right-hander Luis Castillo at Great American Ball Park. McLain will be back in the lineup for the first time since straining his hamstring on April 4. With McLain returning, Gavin Lux moves back to left field and will hit cleanup on Tuesday. McLain, a former first-rounder out of UCLA, did have three home runs in his first eight games before getting injured, but he had also gone just 7-for-28 (.214) in his first 31 plate appearances. It's been a bit of a slow start for the 25-year-old after he missed all of the 2024 campaign, but he's worth rostering in most fantasy leagues for his power/speed upside in a great home hitting environment in Cincy. He has never faced Castillo in his career. Manager Terry Francona said the team may have to manage playing McLain every day over the next week, but other than that he has no limitations.