Dateline: Cincinnati
Edwin Arroyo was awakened at 10:30 this morning by a phone call.
He ignored it and rolled over for another few winks.
The caller was Pat Kelly, the manager of the Triple A Louisville Bats. "If you want to go to the big leagues, you better answer the phone," Kelly bellowed on the other end of the line.
An hour and a half after All-Star shortstop, Elly De La Cruz had an MRI on his right hamstring the Reds called the 22-year old from Arecibo, Puerto Rico up from Louisville to fill the huge shoes of the fallen star.
Fans have been peppering the talk show air waves with questions why the talented young infielder was not on the team when Matt McLain was struggling at the plate.
Arroyo meanwhile was hitting above his weight at .323/.383/.562 in 53 games at Louisville. He has nine doubles, five triples, 11 home runs and 34 RBI. He has stolen nine bases and was never caught.
He came to the Reds organization in a trade with the Seattle Mariners for Luis Castillo on July 29, 2022. All of the averages on his slash line are the highest in his minor league career as he has played mostly shortstop but has played a lot of second base lately and some third base.
He missed all but 18 games in the Arizona Fall League in 2024 with a shoulder injury but rebounded with a good 2025 season at Double A Chattanooga with a .284 average.
"I'm here now," Arroyo said. "I feel good, trying to be consistent and bring it up here. I feel good playing anywhere. I'm excited for the opportunity."
His meeting with manager Terry Francona was simple.
"He told me to be me," Arroyo said. "That's what I'm going to try to do. Walking into the clubhouse was really exciting. That was the goal for sure. Now that I'm here I want to help the team win."
Francona is not going to define Arroyo by whatever happens in the rookie's first dip into the Major League pool, which starts tonight against the Kansas City Royals at second base, batting eighth.
"I told him not to try to be somebody else. Just be who you are. I think that's the best thing you can tell young guys," Francona said. "He's a great kid. He's been playing with a lot of energy. I want to be a little careful. I'm excited to watch him but I also don't fall into, if he has a good 10 days you put him in the Hall of Fame or if he has a bad 10 days, he's a bust. Just let him play and let him try to help us win some games. That's why he's here. The experience will be really valuable for him."
"It can't be one guy to pick up the slack. That's not fair to anybody. I think 1 through 9 need to just play the game. That's what you ask."
Francona watched another kid from Puerto Rico grow into a solid major league career when Francisco Lindor was similarly coming through the Cleveland organization.
Arroyo followed Lindor while growing up in Puerto Rico along with Alex Rodriguez.
"I used watch Alex Rodriguez when I was really young. I used to watch him a lot. I even wore his number 13," Arroyo said. "Then when Lindor was coming up and other Puerto Ricans. I watched them too.
He had been to Great American Ball Park but not on the field. He was able to contact family on the drive up I-71 from Louisville this morning.
"Some will be here today and some more tomorrow," Arroyo said.
He will wear the number two for the Reds.
"I found out on social media that it would be my number. I thought good. It's better than 56 that I had in spring training," Arroyo laughed.
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