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Cincinnati Reds Injured Star to Play in Instructional League This Fall

Matt McLain missed the entire season but is going to play in a controlled environment this fall.

Brady Farkas

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Matt McLain (9) fields a groundball during spring training workouts, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, at the team s spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz.
Cincinnati Reds shortstop Matt McLain (9) fields a groundball during spring training workouts, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, at the team s spring training facility in Goodyear, Ariz. / Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Cincinnati Reds youngster Matt McLain, who missed the entire season with injury, is set to play in a controlled environment this fall.

Per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

Reds IF Matt McLain, who missed all season with shoulder and rib injuries, expected to get into instructional league games this fall. 1B Christian Encarnacion-strand, who missed most if season (hand) to play in Arizona Fall League.

It was an extremely frustrating year for McLain - and the Reds - as the team missed the playoffs again this season. McLain was supposed to pair with Elly De La Cruz, Noelvi Marte, Encarnacion-Strand and Spencer Steer to make up the core of a great, young team but it just didn't happen. McLain and CES were injured while Marte was suspended 80 games for PED use.

McLain was one of several exciting prospects to debut for the Reds during the 2023 season and he did not disappoint, hitting .290 over 365 at-bats. He also popped 16 homers and looks should help anchor middle of the Reds infield for years to come.

McLain is a former first-round pick of the Reds in the 2021 draft out of UCLA. He drove in 50 runs and stole 14 bases as well in 2023. He also posted a .357 on-base percentage.

He'll figure to be ready for a full spring training in 2025.

The Reds will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend at Great American Ball Park. They enter play on Friday night at 74-80.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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