Edwin Arroyo's Path to Cincinnati Just Got Much Clearer After Elly De La Cruz Injury

The Cincinnati Reds have a decision to make when it comes to who is going to play at shortstop with Elly De La Cruz leaving Sunday's game due to injury. I think it is time to call up Edwin Arroyo.

It's Time To Promote Edwin Arroyo

Arroyo has had a great season in what has been his first taste of Triple-A. After missing the 2024 season with a similar injury as Matt McLain, Arroyo hit the ball well in Double-A in 2024, but the power was not where he wanted it to be. He slashed .284/.345/.371 with 30 extra-base hits, four of which were home runs. He made it a point to get more loft in his swing and try for more power.

“I made some adjustments to put the ball more in the air,”Arroyo told Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie's Chalkboard in Spring Training. “I had a lot of hits last year. I’d like to have had more doubles, triples and homers. It’s coming. I won’t force it. It’ll happen if I put the ball in the air.”

Those adjustments have worked so far, and the power numbers are there this season. In 53 games, Arroyo has 25 extra-base hits with 11 home runs. In less than half the amount of games, he is already near 2025's totals, and he's just four home runs away from a career high, slashing .323/.383/.562. He has played more at second base and even has learned third, but he is a natural shortstop. If De La Cruz has to miss significant time, I want to see Arroyo play more at shortstop and keep McLain at second.

Why Arroyo Over McLain at Short?

Matt McLain was a shortstop on his journey through the organization, even debuting there in May 2023, but when De La Cruz made his debut the following month, McLain slid over to second base and has thrived there ever since. This season, he is a plus-three outs above average, putting him in the 89th percentile. Last season, he was a plus-four outs above average, and in a shorter debut season, he was a plus-two defender. Even after struggling offensively, manager Terry Francona still believes in the player he can be.

"Matt's really trying to work on some stuff with Val (Chris Valaika) and the guys." Francona told Mike Petraglia pregame on Sunday.

The Reds and Francona still believe in McLain's ability to be an above-average hitter along with his elite defense at second base. In Spring Training last year, Francona had the highest of praises he could offer about him.

“When I say he has a little bit of (Dustin) Pedroia in him, I haven’t been around Matt nearly as much, but that’s about as big of a compliment as you could give somebody,” Francona said.

McLain is an elite second baseman, and Arroyo is known for being a great defender at shortstop. Arroyo has shown massive gains on offense. His bat was holding him back before. I think it's time to give him a shot at the big league level, even if it's for a short stint. If his bat translates, he may force the Reds' hand at another position down the road.

Add us as a preferred source on Google