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47 articles
CIN • Infielder • #9
5 days ago
McLain victimized Tigers’ left-hander Framber Valdez for a 421-foot (106.8 mph EV) two-run shot in the fifth inning to get the Reds on the board. Then after a lengthy rain delay, he walloped a 419-foot (106.3 mph EV) two-run shot off of Will Vest that tied the game at 5-5 in the seventh inning. The dynamic 26-year-old also drew a walk in the ballgame, finishing the night 2-for-4. He’s now hitting .213/.339/.330 with two homers, eight RBI and four stolen bases through his first 112 plate appearances on the season.
CIN • Infielder • #9
18 days ago
McLain takes a seat after an ice-cold 14-game stretch to open the season where he’s batted .218 (12-for-55) with zero homers, three RBI and two steals. The 26-year-old was the talk of spring training when he blasted seven homers in 18 games and looked like he was on the verge of putting everything together. Emerging star rookie Sal Stewart is at second base and batting cleanup in his place with Spencer Steer bumped up to the second spot in the order.
Source: MLB.com
CIN • Infielder • #9
21 days ago
McLain’s sizzling-hot spring training feels like a lifetime ago. The 26-year-old second baseman stepped to the plate representing the tying run in the ninth inning and went down looking at a called third strike from Michael Petersen to end it. He’s off to a frosty start at the dish, hitting .217 (10-for-46) with zero homers and two steals through 12 games.
CIN • Infielder • #9
22 days ago
McLain turned a 3-2 lead for the Reds into a 5-2 cushion when he doubled for the second time in the contest to score Tyler Stephenson and Dane Meyers. The 26-year-old has driven in four runs, stolen two bases and forged a .670 OPS over the first 11 games.
CIN • Infielder • #9
about 1 month ago
McLain had three hits four times last year. He had two walks seven times. It should surprise no one that he never did both in the same game while batting .220/.300/.343 in 577 plate appearances. He did, however, reach five times on March 31, at which point no one could have guessed what kind of season he’d end up having. Hopes are high again now after McLain hit a ludicrous .509 with seven homers in 18 games this spring. He had the hardest-hit ball of today’s game, checking in at 110.5 mph on a 387-foot double, and also got up to 107.0 mph on one of his singles.
CIN • Infielder • #9
about 1 month ago
McLain will sit out Monday’s spring contest against the Brewers as he recovers from a flu bug that has been working its way through Cincinnati’s facility. The 26-year-old second baseman has been the talk of the Cactus League this spring with seven homers and two steals in 17 contests. He should be ready for the club’s Opening Day matchup later this week.
Source: Gordon Wittenmyr
CIN • Infielder • #9
about 1 month ago
McLain joins Shea Langerliers as the spring leaders with seven homers. He’s also tops with 17 runs scored while primarily working as the Reds’ No. 2 hitter, a role he’s now certain to carry into the regular season.
CIN • Infielder • #9
about 1 month ago
It’d become obvious based on his spring lineups, but confirmation is always welcome. McLain opened last year batting second, but he spent much of the second half hitting ninth on his way to a .220/.300/.343 campaign. The 26-year-old has been one of the league’s hottest hitters this spring, coming in at .553/.605/1.105 with six homers in 43 plate appearances.
Source: Charlie Goldsmith
CIN • Infielder • #9
about 2 months ago
McLain reached on an infield single in the opening frame before crushing a 417 foot solo shot his next time up against Mariners ace George Kirby. The 26-year-old second baseman has put together a phenomenal spring performance, batting a surreal .553 (21-for-38) with six homers and two steals through 13 games, which has caused his fantasy stock to skyrocket from a late-round lottery ticket to a mid-round option at the keystone. There’s plenty of reason to believe in a bounce-back campaign for McLain since adding some extra muscle in the offseason could lead to an uptick in consistent hard contact.
CIN • Infielder • #9
about 2 months ago
McLain has been one of fantasy’s biggest spring storylines, batting an absurd .607 with five homers and 12 RBI through 10 Cactus League games. He also added his first stolen base of the spring in this one, just for good measure. The case for a bounce-back fantasy campaign is relatively straightforward as McLain spent the offseason adding muscle to his frame and is even further removed from shoulder surgery, which theoretically should result in more consistent hard contact. He’s a prime sleeper candidate at second base, going off the board right around pick 200 overall, on average, in most drafts this spring.
CIN • Infielder • #9
about 2 months ago
McLain singled in the opening inning and scored on Elly De La Cruz’s gargantuan two-run blast. He then clobbered a two-run shot of his own in the second inning — a 380-foot (104.2 mph EV) blast off of Cole Irvin that made it a 6-1 ballgame. He also singled in the fifth and scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s three-run shot. McLain is doing everything that he can to make fantasy managers buy back in after his disappointing 2025 season — slashing an insane .647/.700/1.412 with four homers and 11 RBI in his first six Cactus League contests.
CIN • Infielder • #9
about 2 months ago
With the Reds seemingly poised to give him another look in the two hole despite last season’s struggles, things are really looking up for McLain right now. His homers today both left the bat at over 107 mph and were projected at 412 and 421 feet. He’s 8-for-14 with three homers, three walks and just one strikeout in 17 plate appearances this spring. Last spring, he had a 17/2 K/BB in 57 plate appearances.
CIN • Infielder • #9
2 months ago
McLain took Coleman Crow deep in the first inning. He also singled and scored a second run. McLain was awful in 2025 with a .643 OPS, but fantasy managers shouldn’t forget how good he looked in his rookie campaign in 2023, and there’s a chance for some power/speed production this summer.
CIN • Infielder • #9
3 months ago
“It’s kind of the first offseason I’ve had to actually train and not be rehabbing,” McLain said Friday. “It feels like a fresh start.” The 26-year-old former top prospect struggled in his return from shoulder surgery last season, striking out at a near-30 percent clip while producing a pedestrian 40.7 percent hard-hit rate that ranked 153rd out of 251 qualified hitters. McLain still offers an enticing power/speed foundation for fantasy purposes, and the combination of added muscle and being further removed from surgery offers a plausible path to more consistent hard contact.
Source: Charlie Goldsmith
CIN • Infielder • #9
4 months ago
McLain was called up early enough in the 2023 season to qualify as a Super Two player this year, and he’ll make about three times the minimum despite missing 2024 and struggling throughout last season. He should remain the Reds’ starting second baseman this year, but if he continues to falter offensively, the Reds have Gavin Lux and Sal Stewart as alternatives. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.
Source: Mark Sheldon
CIN • Infielder • #9
7 months ago
McLain’s up-and-down September ends on a down, as he went 2-for-19 with nine strikeouts in his final six games to finish the season at .220/.300/.343. He’s been an everyday player of late, but the Reds could consider alternatives in the Wild Card series. The problem is that they just don’t much like Gavin Lux’s defense at second, narrowing their options.
CIN • Infielder • #9
8 months ago
He also swiped his 17th base. After a little surge at the end of August and the first week of September, McLain came into tonight 2-for-20 with 10 strikeouts in his previous seven games. Playing time might again become a question for him, but it hasn’t been an issue of late, mostly because of how banged up Spencer Steer has been.
CIN • Infielder • #9
8 months ago
McLain has returned to an everyday role in the Reds’ lineup in recent weeks, but he’ll get a breather in this one. Gavin Lux will cover second base in his place with TJ Friedl shifting to the designated hitter slot in the lineup and Will Benson drawing a start in center field.
Source: MLB
CIN • Infielder • #9
8 months ago
McLain continued his recent success at the plate, taking Jonah Tong deep for a solo homer in the third inning for his third home run in his last seven games. He also drew a pair of walks to reach in all three plate appearances. The 26-year-old second baseman is hitting .230/.312/.358 with 14 homers, 67 runs scored, 46 RBI, and 16 steals across 509 plate appearances.
CIN • Infielder • #9
8 months ago
McLain has hit in six straight games, though this is his first multihit game since Aug. 7. Still, he might have turned the corner a little bit with homers Saturday and Sunday. He definitely needs the little surge here with Sal Stewart up as a candidate to see time at second base.
CIN • Infielder • #9
8 months ago
After going nearly six weeks without a big fly, McLain went deep for the second straight contest when he took Cardinals reliever Andre Granillo deep in the eighth inning of this one for his 13th round-tripper of the season. It’s been a disappointing campaign overall for the 26-year-old former top prospect, but he continues to show flashes of big-time fantasy potential.
CIN • Infielder • #9
8 months ago
McLain homered and doubled in the first game back from the All-Star break, but it wasn’t a sign of things to come; he entered tonight at .217/.254/.233 in August. He could lose much of his playing time if the Reds call up Sal Stewart, though the team is dragging its feet on that front.
CIN • Infielder • #9
8 months ago
It’s the fourth time in the last five games against left-handers that McLain has found himself on the bench in favor of Santiago Espinal. Maybe manager Terry Francona just prefers Espinal against southpaws. Expect McLain to return to action on Saturday.
CIN • Infielder • #9
8 months ago
It’s the third consecutive game against a left-handed starter that McLain has found himself on the bench for, just adding to what has been an extremely disappointing season for the 26-year-old infielder. Santiago Espinal will start in his place at second base and bat ninth for the Reds on Saturday.
Source: MLB
CIN • Infielder • #9
9 months ago
That’s not going to help the cause. McLain is 5-for-29 with a 12/1 K/BB in his last eight games. A rebound can hardly be ruled out, but now that he’s sitting so often, it’s hard to justify rostering him in mixed leagues.
CIN • Infielder • #9
9 months ago
The Reds have already dropped the slumping second baseman back down in their lineup and now he’s out of the lineup entirely on Friday night. Gavin Lux will cover second base in his place and will bat fifth against Brewers’ right-hander Jacob Misiorowski on Friday evening in Cincinnati.
Source: MLB
CIN • Infielder • #9
9 months ago
Spencer Steer is up to second. That seems like something of an odd choice, given that his improvement has been more about power than an OBP that’s hovered around .300 in recent months. Noelvi Marte seems like a better choice there, with Steer staying in the middle of the lineup, but it doesn’t matter a whole lot. McLain has sat out two of the last five games against right-handers and might log more bench time if he can’t put something together soon. His OPS has been stuck right around .650 since late June.
CIN • Infielder • #9
9 months ago
McLain has been swinging a hot bat recently, hitting .308 (8-for-26) with one steal over his last seven games. It’ll be Gavin Lux drawing another start at the keystone in his place.
Source: MLB.com
CIN • Infielder • #9
9 months ago
The Reds want to try and get Gavin Lux and Jake Fraley in the lineup against right-handed pitchers, which means they have been rotating giving other players days off. On Wednesday, Lux will play second base and McLain will take a seat.
CIN • Infielder • #9
9 months ago
McLain has been better since the start of June, hitting .267/.340/.387 in 52 games coming into today with five home runs and four steals. It hasn’t been the breakout season many were hoping for, but McLain is just 25 years old, so if he can get a healthy season under his belt, he could be set up for a much better 2026.