The Cincinnati Reds reported on Wednesday that second baseman Matt McLain underwent surgery on his left shoulder Tuesday and will be sidelined indefinitely.
McLain underwent successful surgery to address cartilage damage and repair his labrum in his left shoulder. Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall stated that McLain’s return timeline has a “wide range of possibilities,” and they are hopeful to see him back in action this season. “Yesterday, Matt McLain had successful surgery to address cartilage damage and repair his labrum in his left shoulder,” Krall said. “An exact timeline is still TBD as it has a wide range of possibilities. We hope to have Matt back this season.”
McLain, 24, sustained the injury during a Spring Training workout on March 18 while attempting to make a diving catch. Despite initially believing the injury to be minor, a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles revealed the seriousness of the damage.
During his rookie season last year, McLain played a crucial role, contributing to the Reds’ unexpected 82-win season. He boasted impressive stats, batting .290 with a .864 OPS, hitting 16 home runs, driving in 50 runs, and stealing 14 bases across 89 games. He finished fifth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. While Manager David Bell had previously mentioned that McLain would start the season on the injured list, the lack of a specific timeline for his return raises concerns.
With McLain sidelined, the Reds’ primary option at second base is Jonathan India, who primarily played in that position from 2021-23. India, drafted fifth overall in 2018 from Florida, made his MLB debut in 2021 and earned recognition as Baseball America’s Rookie of the Year. He holds a career .255 batting average with 73 doubles, four triples, 48 home runs, and 171 RBIs.
Additionally, the Reds are contending with injuries to starting center fielder and leadoff man TJ Friedl, who has a fractured right wrist, and starting third baseman Noelvi Marte, serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Santiago Espinal is expected to fill in at third base while India transitions to second. Espinal, acquired by the Reds last week following news of McLain’s injury, is a 29-year-old All-Star with a career slash line of .273/.331/.367.