Here's how Reds used AFL to their advantage

This story was excerpted from Mark Sheldon's Reds Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CINCINNATI -- The Arizona Fall League will culminate its 2024 season with Saturday's championship game. Several Reds played AFL ball for the Glendale Desert Dogs, which finished play on Thursday.

“Overall, it was a very talented group," Reds player development director Jeremy Farrell said on Friday. "There were several guys there to get more innings and keep pitching because of injury or get more at-bats because of injury and set themselves up for a good offseason and some more confidence going into Spring Training.”

The Reds broke with tradition somewhat by sending some players with significant big league experience to the AFL, including Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.

McLain, who sustained a left shoulder injury in March that required surgery that kept him out of action for the Reds in 2024, batted only .240 in his 13 games, but had an .876 OPS and four home runs in 59 plate appearances. He also moved around from his customary second base, playing at third base and in center field.

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“At the end of the day, the at-bats were the priority," Farrell said. “He came to us and the Desert Dogs and ultimately said he just wanted to go play. He didn’t care what position it was. He’s a baseball rat. He just wanted to get into the lineup."

Like McLain, Encarnacion-Strand often played out of position in the outfield instead of at first base because of roster construction and the need for other club's prospects to play in their usual spots.

Encarnacion-Strand, who batted .190 with a .513 OPS and two home runs in 29 games last season before a right hand fracture required season-ending surgery, was limited to eight AFL games. He dealt with some scar tissue in the hand that had him sitting out.

But when he played, Encarnacion-Strand batted .385 with a .931 OPS in 32 plate appearances.

“There were certain things he needed to go through in his return to play to set himself up to be healthy and confident for Spring Training, and we feel like we were able to accomplish those things as well," Farrell said. “He was another guy where the at-bats were the priority.”

Ranked as the Reds' No. 3 prospect and No. 65 overall by MLB Pipeline, shortstop Edwin Arroyo also endured a lost season after a torn labrum in his left shoulder required surgery in March.

Arroyo, 21, played 18 games in the AFL, while focused at shortstop, and batted .253 with a .642 OPS. In the Fall Stars Game, he hit two line-drive singles and stole a base.

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“First of all, he certainly proved to us that he’s healthy," Farrell said. "Hopefully, he proved to himself that he’s healthy. Coming off that type of injury, it’s just getting out and playing and getting into competition to check some boxes. I thought it was a really good fall for him. He played a solid shortstop, put up professional at-bats and had stats to show for it.”

Unranked prospect Tyler Callihan missed a couple of months from June-August with a hand injury. Able to play in the AFL, Callihan batted .263 with a .762 OPS, two homers and 10 RBIs in 19 games. Normally a second baseman, the lefty hitter got significant playing time in left field.

"He started swinging the bat from Day 1 upon his return to the lineup in Double-A,” Farrell said. “He earned a promotion to Triple-A at the end of the year. We wanted to continue to get him at-bats and he just kept hitting.”

On the pitching side, Luis Mey was one of the AFL's more dominant relievers after he split the 2024 season between High-A Dayton and Double-A Chattanooga. Mey, 23, threw 8 2/3 scoreless innings over eight games with two walks, eight strikeouts and six saves.

“We just wanted to continue to challenge him and put him in environments to build on what he’s done over the last year-plus, and he responded,” Farrell said. “The stuff and the arm and ability also speak for itself. It’s all been about consistency for him, and he went out and really answered the bell.”

Another right-hander, Jose Acuna, impressed while posting a 2.77 ERA in four games -- including three starts. The 22-year-old walked 11 and struck out 16 over 13 innings. Acuna opened the '24 season in extended spring camp, but he pitched a combined 15 games with the Rookie-level ACL Reds, Double-A and Triple-A Louisville.

"He’s always shown an advanced feel to pitch and has some pitchability in his game,” Farrell said. “Continuing to build and log innings was important. He went out and made the Fall Stars team and had a really good fall.”