Cincinnati Reds: The keys for Edwin Arroyo as he settles into the big leagues
· Yahoo Sports
Jun. 12—The 2026 season has provided 22-year-old infielder Edwin Arroyo the opportunity to connect with a lot of potential mentors and receive a lot of good advice from a lot of different sources.
Visit tr-sport.click for more information.
"It's been a big year being surrounded by really good people," Arroyo said.
The opportunity on his plate right now is his chance to prove that he's ready for a full-time starting spot in the Cincinnati Reds' infield. Arroyo was called up for his big league debut when Elly De La Cruz went on the injured list at the start of June with a hamstring injury. De La Cruz is making progress coming back from an injury with a two- to four-week timeline, and this is a great chance for Arroyo to show the player that he's capable of being right now.
"I want to do my best wherever they put me," Arroyo said. "I'm open to learn. I'm open to whatever they put on my table. I can do everything. Whatever they need, I know I can help them. I've just got to go out there and do it."
For Arroyo, this year started with a lot of one-on-one workouts during spring training with Eugenio Suárez.
Arroyo and Suárez were the two position players in big league spring training with the Reds, who were participating in the World Baseball Classic. As a result, they were allowed to be on the field for official workouts earlier than the other players. They were on the same schedule, and that gave Arroyo the opportunity to pick Suárez's brain.
Arroyo then left camp at the end of February to play for Team Puerto Rico. Due to his inexperience, he didn't get a ton of playing time. But being around that team in a playoff-like environment was still a great opportunity for him.
In Triple-A, Arroyo really benefited from working with the Reds' strength and conditioning staff. He was able to have a lot of success with a program that strengthened his hips. Previously, he'd get "locked in on his front side" and wasn't as athletic in the batter's box. His new strength program allowed him to tap into more power than he had ever shown.
After homering three times in Double-A in the entire 2024 season, Arroyo homered 11 times in 53 Triple-A games before he got called up to the Reds' roster.
"I worked all offseason on my swing and my approach," Arroyo said. "If I get my mind right, I'm good."
As he started earning his call-up to the big leagues, he impressed everyone who saw him in Triple-A.
"It's his speed, skill defensively and his bat more recently," said Reds reliever Tejay Antone, who also played with Arroyo in Triple-A in April.
"He looks really confident in the box. As a pitcher, you don't love seeing that. It's hard to get those guys out. He looks really confident right now. If he just stays within himself and keeps doing what he does best — great defensively, speed kills on the bases, bat to ball skills — he's going to do really well up here."
Before he was called up to the big leagues, Arroyo also did one-on-one work in the infield with Barry Larkin. The Hall of Famer visited Arroyo in Triple-A, and they went over a lot of the finer details in the infield.
That was especially important for Arroyo at second base, which is a relatively new position for him. He's also learning third base in an effort to become more versatile.
"It was a great opportunity," Arroyo said. "I feel good playing anywhere. I'm excited. If they need me (anywhere), I'm more than happy to help them."
Now, Arroyo is learning from Terry Francona and mentors on the big league roster like Suárez and De La Cruz.
The keys for Arroyo at the plate are swinging at the right pitches and maintaining a consistent approach.
"He has only had a couple of months in Triple-A, so there's still some work that needs to be done," president of baseball operations Nick Krall said.
"He has a lot of talent, bat speed, speed on the bases. It's about developing consistency and shrinking the zone."
Arroyo had a bit of a slow start, but his hits so far have showcased the upside that he brings to the table. He's about as versatile as he could be as a switch hitter who can hit for power and for average and play three infield positions.
"The goal is to try to stay and help the team," Arroyo said. 'I'll control what I can."