Matt

McLain

McLain missed three games with left shoulder soreness. He’s batting seventh tonight against Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

McLain takes a seat for the third consecutive game due to lingering left shoulder soreness. It seems unlikely that he’ll require a trip to the injured list with less than two weeks left in the season, but the Reds aren’t going to rush him back too quickly and risk a setback. It’ll be Juan Brito drawing another opportunity at the keystone in his absence.

McLain was a late scratch from Saturday’s lineup due to left shoulder soreness and he’s still not feeling good enough to give it a go on Sunday. The Reds maintain that it’s a day-to-day situation and McLain isn’t expected to require a return trip to the injured list. Juan Brito will cover second base in his absence and bat seventh for the Reds against Brewers’ southpaw Robert Gasser on Sunday.

McLain landed hard on his surgically repaired shoulder while diving after a ball Friday. “I think it’s going to be good, but I think it needs a day or two,” he said. “There’s just some extra inflammation, stiffness that just needs to get out of there. I passed all the tests.”

McLain was set to play second base and bat seventh, and Juan Brito was supposed to start at third and bat ninth. Brito will now take on McLain’s responsibilities, while Ke’Bryan Hayes replaces Brito.

The 23-year-old had started every other game during the week — either at third base or second base — but he’ll get a breather in this one with right-hander Dustin May on the bump for the Brewers. Matt McLain will start at second base and will bat ninth for the Reds.

McLain’s slam off Ryne Stanek gave the Reds a 5-4 lead in the sixth. He had a chance for another one with two outs in the ninth and the Reds down 10-9, but his 102-mph liner to right was easily handled by Jordan Walker. McLain did also walk and score a second run today. He’s back looking like a decent mixed-league option while hitting .259 with four homers and three steals in his last 17 games.

The steal was McLain’s 15th of the season as he’s pacing to top last year’s career-best of 18. The high-pedigree infielder hasn’t had a breakout season by any means, but he has enough of a power-speed foundation to warrant interest in deeper fantasy formats, though the batting average below .200 severely hurts his value. McLain has started every game for the Reds since coming off the IL on July 30th, but he’s exclusively hitting in the bottom of the order.

He also picked up his 14th steal of the season. It’s a little insulting that the Reds have taken to hitting McLain ninth behind Ke’Bryan Hayes on occasion of late, but with that happening again tonight, the two actually hit back-to-back homers in the fifth. McLain’s homer was his third in nine games and 11th in 363 plate appearances on the season.

McLain’s home run was his ninth of the year. He hit a solo shot off Jacob Lopez in the fifth inning. McLain is 4-for-19 (.210) in six games since returning from the injured list.