Cincinnati Reds Infielder Matt McLain on Verge of Being Labeled a 'Bust'

The Reds desperately need Matt McLain to get hot over the next few weeks.

May 14, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) high fives teammates after hitting a two-run home run in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Reds were seemingly prepared for Matt McLain to come into Cincinnati this season and dominate as he did in Spring Training.

But McLain quickly fell back to earth after his scorching hot start in Spring Training. He slashed .206/.306/.320 with an OPS barely over .600 in April. This comes after he struggled mightily last season.

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly recently suggested that McLain is on the verge of being labeled a bust if he can't quickly turn his production around.

Matt McLain Has Produced Like He Was Expected To

May 15, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) celebrates his two-run home run with right fielder Spencer Steer (7) in the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

"However, he missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing left shoulder surgery, and hasn't been the same player since," Kelly wrote. "In 191 games since the start of the 2025 campaign, he has hit .218 with a .648 OPS and 1.6 WAR, a far cry from the type of production he put up in his first glimpse at the MLB level. Perhaps as McLain continues to move further away from his injury, he'll recapture the form he once showed. Then again, that surgery was in March 2024. One would think he would be fine by this point, but the production hasn't returned."

McLain has the talent. He's an incredible defender and a very good base runner. Based on his rookie season, which was a distant three years ago at this point, there's reason to be hopeful. But McLain hasn't returned to this form since being injured and missing the entire 2024 season.

His power has struggled to return to form, as he only hit two home runs in March and April combined, with both coming on the same day in a huge win over the Detroit Tigers.

Despite this, he's been showing signs of life in May.

Matt McLain is Showing Signs of Life Recently

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) plays a bounding ground ball off the bat of Luis García Jr. in the first inning of the MLB National League game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The Reds led 2-0 after three innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

McLain got off to a bad start in May, too, going 0-for-13 to begin the month. Since then, he's 12-for-37 with six runs scored, three doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBI in 11 games. He has hits in nine of those 11 games, too.

The power is beginning to come back. He's posted a max exit velocity over 110 miles per hour this season, which ranks around league average. He's also working a lot of good at-bats and chasing less. His walk rate is 12.6 percent, which is above average, and his chase rate is only 22.8 percent, which is elite.

If McLain can continue trending in the right direction, he should be able to avoid being labeled a bust. Still, with all the hype surrounding him after his huge rookie campaign, this could be difficult to do.