SAN FRANCISCO – The Reds placed infielder Matt McLain on the 10-day injured list Tuesday due to a mild left hamstring strain.
To accompany McLain’s IL stint, right-hander Carson Spiers was sent down to Triple-A Louisville. In their place, outfielder Will Benson and infielder Noelvi Marte were called up from Louisville.
McLain hadn’t started in the past four games — including the series against Milwaukee and Monday’s opener in San Francisco — before being officially placed on the IL. He was nearly in the lineup Monday after testing his hamstring with some light running, but the team opted to keep him out as a precaution.
“He’s got a mild hamstring issue,” said manager Terry Francona. “We’re not going to push it. He can be back next Tuesday, and hopefully at 100 percent. There’s a lot of baseball left.”
The 25-year-old McLain is hitting .214/.290/.571 with three home runs and five RBIs across eight games, after missing all of 2024 following shoulder surgery.
Spiers, who earned the fifth starter role in Spring Training, was always likely to be optioned once Andrew Abbott returned from the IL.
The additions of Benson and Marte give Cincinnati added depth as they wrap up their road trip in San Francisco before heading home to face the Pirates and Mariners.
Benson, 26, offers versatility across all outfield spots. He hit 14 home runs in 128 games last year, appearing in the outfield 118 times.
Marte, 23, played 66 big league games in 2024, batting .210/.248/.301 while mostly manning third base. After not making the team out of Spring Training this year, he embraced his time in the Minors as a growth opportunity.
“I think it was the best thing for my career,” Marte said via an interpreter. “It helped me refocus and realize what I need to do to get back here.”
He added that he’s now driven to prove he belongs, saying, “I think the version of me that trusted his talent is the reason I’m here today.”
Both players were swinging hot bats in Triple-A: Benson was hitting .341, and Marte .353 through nine games.
“We’ll see how we handle the day game [on Wednesday],” said Francona. “But they’ll get in there and help us out soon enough.”
