The Reds will miss Matt McLain, and now they progress down a familiar path

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson is the longest-tenured position player on the team. He still hasn’t been a part of a Reds season where all of the pieces on the roster fell into place in the way the team expected at the start of the season.

Stephenson debuted in 2020, when the Reds constantly had players going on and off the COVID list all year. In 2021, the Reds fell out of the playoff race when their entire outfield dealt with injuries during the second half of the season. The 2022 Reds were the most injury-riddled team in baseball, and the 2023 Reds’ pitching staff was never fully healthy.

Before the 2024 season even started, the Reds are already facing adversity. Noelvi Marte is suspended, and TJ Friedl is out for an extended period of time with a wrist injury. On Tuesday, Reds second baseman Matt McLain had successful surgery to address cartilage damage and repair his labrum in his left shoulder.

The Reds are hopeful that McLain will return this season, but they’ll still have to play at least a big chunk of the season without their best player.

It’s a tough blow for the team, but it’s also nothing that they’re not used to.

“With some injuries and with Marte, you’re losing some key pieces,” Stephenson said. “Last year, we had some stuff and we had guys come in and step up. There are guys that can do that and play at a high level. Once those guys get back, hopefully they can hit the ground running. I know there will be ups and downs. We went through that last year. The great thing about baseball is we’ve got tomorrow. Wash it and get ready for the next day tomorrow.”

Speaking with McLain this week, Reds manager David Bell said that McLain “has the right outlook on this.” Bell reminded him that every good player goes through an injury like this, and Bell said that McLain is motivated to push himself during the rehab process and return as quickly as he can.

Reds Opening Day Matt McLain Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain undergoes shoulder surgery

Reds Opening Day roster move The Cincinnati Reds finalize Opening Day roster, call up Bubba Thompson

Reds Opening Day Frankie Montas For Reds' Opening Day starter Frankie Montas, every pitch has a story

McLain is such an important piece that without him, Bell has had to make significant changes to his plans for the lineup, the infield and the roster. McLain’s injury created such a big need that the Reds traded for Santiago Espinal on the same day that they determined that McLain would miss time this season.

“It was very tough because he’s a big part of the team,” Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz said. “We’ll miss him a lot.”

No one player will replace McLain, but the front office and coaching staff has prioritized building up the Reds’ depth to prepare for situations like this one.

“This is what being a team is all about,” Bell said. ‘It’s an opportunity for other guys to step up. When we do get Matt back, of course he makes us a better team. There’s no question. I’m looking forward to that. In the meantime, we love what we have here and the players we have to make up for that loss.”

Stephenson said that the Reds’ veterans are important pieces as the Reds move forward. The Reds signed Jeimer Candelario to make their infield depth the strength of the team. Candelario was always slated to be an every day player, but his presence carries even more significance as the Reds try to make up for the contributions that McLain would have made on both sides of the ball.

Along with Candelario, the Reds added veteran pitchers Emilio Pagán, Nick Martinez, Frankie Montas and Brent Suter with the idea that they’d provide leadership and help keep the team on track during difficult circumstances.

“It’s a long year, and there are going to be ups and downs,” Stephenson said. “You see how we handled that and went through that last year. Now bringing in guys like Candelario, Emilio, Nick, Frankie. These guys who have experience, they’re going to help us during those times. They’ve played a lot of games. They’ve all been great.”

Moving forward, Jonathan India and Santiago Espinal will likely receive the most playing time at second base. India was going to play more first base and left field this season, but the Reds will be relying on him to make a leap as a defender at second base as they fill McLain’s spot.

Espinal puts the ball in play at a high clip. While he doesn’t hit for much power, he’s an impact defender and will be in the mix for playing time. Stuart Fairchild, Nick Martini and Bubba Thompson will also receive some more at-bats than they would have had McLain been healthy.

“To get through October, it’ll take every bit of 26-plus players,” Bell said. “We’re already seeing it with the challenge of losing a couple key guys early. We’re set up to be able to handle it.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The Reds start down a familiar path as injuries pile up