With Elly De La Cruz hitting the IL, Arroyo's arrival is exactly what the Reds needed.
The Cincinnati Reds lost 9-2 to the Kansas City Royals on Monday night, but by the time Edwin Arroyo lined a single into right field in the ninth inning, the final score had become secondary.
For much of the day, Arroyo was simply trying to catch up with everything happening around him.
According to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon, the Reds' top infield prospect was still at his apartment in Louisville on Monday morning when Triple-A manager Pat Kelly called with news that he was heading to the major leagues following Elly De La Cruz's placement on the injured list. Arroyo admitted he missed the first call entirely.
"Well, if you want to go to the bigs, you better answer your phone," Kelly told him, according to Sheldon.
A few hours later, Arroyo was standing inside a major league clubhouse with his own locker, preparing for his debut.
The 22-year-old's first night in the majors included a little bit of everything. He struck out in each of his first three plate appearances, but he also showed why the Reds have remained so high on him throughout his development.
In the second inning, Arroyo ranged to his left on a ground ball from Nick Loftin, made a sliding stop and threw out the runner for his first major league defensive highlight. Reds manager Terry Francona later pointed to that play as an early sign that the moment wasn't overwhelming him.
"He made a really nice play at second," Francona told reporters postgame via Cboxmedia. "Up to that point, there was some swing and miss, but it was nice to see him get a base hit. That kind of gave everybody a little lift."
That hit finally arrived with two outs in the ninth inning.
Facing Royals reliever Eli Morgan, Arroyo jumped on the first pitch he saw and lined it into right field for his first major league hit. The ball was quickly preserved as a souvenir while the crowd responded with one of the loudest cheers of the night.
"It didn't start how I wanted," Arroyo told reporters postgame via Cboxmedia. "But it finished how I wanted."
The moment carried extra significance because of everything Arroyo needed to overcome just to reach this point. After entering professional baseball as one of the centerpiece prospects acquired in the Luis Castillo trade, his development stalled when a torn labrum cost him the entire 2024 season. His strong showing at Triple-A this year forced his way back into the conversation, even though De La Cruz's presence at shortstop left no obvious path to everyday playing time.
Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, Arroyo spent the past several weeks expanding his versatility. He played more second base and even began seeing time at third base. That preparation paid off Monday when Francona started him at second while Matt McLain shifted to shortstop.
"Tito asked me if I was feeling comfortable there. I said yes," said Arroyo via Cboxmedia. "So, wherever they put me, I'm gonna try and feel as comfortable as there."
The Reds will eventually get De La Cruz back. What Arroyo does with this opportunity remains to be seen. But on a night that began with a missed phone call and ended with a baseball headed for his memorabilia collection, Cincinnati got its first look at a player the organization believes can be part of its future.
