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The Cincinnati Reds have suffered through many injuries to key players this season, but they might have missed Matt McLain more than any other player.
McLain had a breakout campaign in 2023 and was expected to be a core piece of this young Cincy offense this season.
However, he's missed the entire season so far and the earliest he'll return to a baseball field (in the minors) is in mid-August. So is it worth it for fantasy managers to hold onto McLain or not?
How High Is Matt McLain's Fantasy Baseball Potential?
McLain is truly a five-tool talent who flashed some incredible potential last year in his rookie campaign.
In a little more than half a season, McLain posted 16 home runs while driving in 50 runs and swiping 15 stolen bases. He also hit .290 with a .864 OPS.
I miss Matt McLain.
— Reds Daily (@RedsDaily4) June 21, 2024
Elly De La Cruz has been fantastic this season for Cincy, and Noelvi Marte is back from suspension. But McLain might be the best true hitter among them and could slide into second base where the Reds are getting just average production from Jonathan India.
When Might Matt McLain Return to the Major Leagues?
McLain is set to start a minor league rehab assignment on August 12th. Since he's missed so much time this year, he will likely need several weeks (at least) to get going which pushes his return to September.
He's 46% rostered in Yahoo! Leagues, which reflects how favorably managers view his upside. However, he may only have a month or less to contribute fantasy stats and that's if his rehab goes as smoothly as possible.
If you already have McLain on your IL, then you have to hold steady and hope for a big month of September from him. But managers in shallower leagues can probably ignore McLain if he's on waivers, as other players will be ready to contribute to your fantasy team sooner than him.
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