Reds will have to beat Guardians tonight without the help of Matt McLain

There once was optimism that Matt McLain would be ready to help the Cincinnati Reds down the stretch after recovering from the oblique injury that sent him to the shelf on August 27th. Today, even, had been earmarked for his return.

That won’t happen, nor will it at any further point in this 2023 season. As The Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith relayed, McLain aggravated his oblique injury and will be sidelined for the remainder of this season.

It’s a frustrating end for a player who shot straight to the top of the team’s future stardom list with his performance in this, his rookie campaign. It’s equally frustrating for the Reds, who have seen player after player get injured and remain injured longer than expected this season, with similar trajectories having played out with Nick Lodolo, Jonathan India, and Hunter Greene.

Now, the Reds will have to hope for miracles over their final 5 games of the season without the services of the player who had been their single best all-around talent this year.

That effort will begin tonight against the Cleveland Guardians, by the way. They’ll send Greene to the mound for potentially the final time this season, while Cleveland will trot out the well-traveled Lucas Giolito in the first of the two-game series this week. First pitch this evening is set for 6:10 PM ET, so get ready earlier than you’re used to for some evening Reds baseball.

Reds Lineup

Guardians Lineup