Edwin Arroyo Is Giving the Reds Something to Think About at Second Base

The Cincinnati Reds promoted top prospect Edwin Arroyo on June 1 to take the spot of Elly De La Cruz after he was placed on the injured list.

Edwin Arroyo Second Baseman of the Future?

Matt McLain has been wildly inconsistent ever since he returned after missing the 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery. It has been a season and a half since, and his performance has been nowhere near what he showcased in his rookie campaign, slashing .290/.357/.507 with 16 home runs, 23 doubles, and four triples. In fact, he has yet to record a triple since his rookie season, and his OPS has dropped 200 points from his rookie year in each of the last two seasons, proving this may actually be the type of play that can be expected from him. Now add in the factor of Arroyo.

Arroyo has been able to hit for average throughout his career, but his power numbers never developed. Until 2026. In Triple-A, he nearly matched his career high in home runs in less than half the amount of games played, and his ability to hit for average was maintained. He slashed .323/.383/.562 with 11 home runs, nine doubles, and five triples. He's always been known as a defense-first player, but his bat has developed quite nicely. Let's not forget, he underwent the same surgery as McLain in the same season while also being a switch hitter.

The start of his big league career did not start with the same flare as McLain's did, but Arroyo has shown that he can hit at this level. On Saturday versus the Yankees, he went 4-5 with a double and two runs scored, and over his last seven games, he's slashing .280/.333/.360/ with two extra-base hits. While the production isn't quite there like it was in Triple-A, he needs to be a serious candidate to be a long-term solution at second base.

What Happens When Elly De La Cruz Returns?

Elly De La Cruz is slated to return to the big league club on Monday for the Brewers series. De La Cruz, without question, is the best player on the team and has quietly been the best defender. He has cut down on his errors, only four on the season, and is undoubtedly the long-term shortstop. That leaves Arroyo as the odd man out and will likely be the corresponding roster move for when De La Cruz gets activated.

If Arroyo can return to form on offense in Triple-A, he will earn another opportunity with the Reds down the road. McLain has to be better, but he has shown flashes of his old self, which is why Arroyo is the move and not McLain. He's a better defender at second right now, but Arroyo isn't far behind and has made some great plays with the Reds. McLain needs to play better offensively; if not, Arroyo needs to be a serious option.

Add us as a preferred source on Google