GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- It should have been a routine pickoff play for Reds shortstop prospect Edwin Arroyo. Instead it was a catastrophe.
During a March 13, 2024, game vs. the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium, Arroyo was leading off first base when a pickoff throw came. He dove back and extended his left arm reaching for the bag. Then he didn't get up after he had jammed his shoulder.
¡°I thought I¡¯d be ready in two weeks, but the MRI didn¡¯t say that. I had to deal with it," said the 21-year-old Arroyo, who is ranked No. 92 overall in 2025 by MLB Pipeline.
Arroyo's MRI revealed a torn labrum in his left shoulder and the surgery that followed cost him the entire 2024 season.
The plan entering last season was for Arroyo to open at Double-A Chattanooga and see what happens. In 2023, the switch-hitter batted .252 with a .757 OPS, 13 home runs, 60 RBIs and 29 stolen bases over 123 games with High-A Dayton and Chattanooga.
Instead, a freak injury cost Arroyo a season's worth of development.
"Maybe I could¡¯ve gotten to the bigs, maybe not," he said. "But either way, I¡¯m ready to go now. Hopefully it happens soon.¡±
Arroyo spent the time rehabbing at the Goodyear complex with a lot of time on his hands.
¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything," he said. "It was not an easy process. Mentally, it was a hard thing. Your family is away, you¡¯re hurt and I was here the whole year. ¡ Mentally, it got me really stronger. I will be ready for whatever is coming.¡±
Arroyo often worked out and rehabbed with Matt McLain, who also had left shoulder surgery during Spring Training that cost him the whole season. Eventually, both players were healthy enough to appear in some games at the Arizona Fall League.
Over 18 games and 81 plate appearances, Arroyo batted .253 with a .642 OPS.
¡°He checked the boxes in the Fall League, whether it was for him or for us -- just the health," Reds player development director Jeremy Farrell said. "He went out and made all the plays -- diving, sliding -- he¡¯s healthy and ready to go.¡±
Said Arroyo: ¡°I was pleased I could just play again. I was a little tired by the Fall League, I¡¯m not going to lie. Even like that, I could play and that was a plus. I am ready to go now with the energy.¡±
In part because of his defensive prowess at shortstop, Arroyo was the player most coveted by the Reds when they acquired four prospects from the Mariners in the July 29, 2022, trade for ace Luis Castillo. Cincinnati also got third baseman Noelvi Marte and pitchers Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore in the deal.
This spring is Arroyo's second big league camp and it's a redux of last year. He is soaking up the experience, getting into Cactus League games most often as a sub and preparing to open the 2025 season at Chattanooga.
Reds manager Terry Francona noticed that defensively, Arroyo doesn't look like someone who missed a whole year. His skills have been as advertised.
"He looks like a guy that is extremely comfortable as a defender," Francona said. "And if I could catch the ball like that, I would be comfortable too. He¡¯s got the actions of a really good defender. The hitting part, he hasn¡¯t had a ton of at-bats in a year. He¡¯s a really fun kid to watch though ¡ You can¡¯t replace 500 at-bats. Those are really important for young kids.¡±
One question looming over Arroyo's development since the Reds traded for him has been where he might fit on the future big league roster. Cincinnati, of course, already has a shortstop in Elly De La Cruz, and the club has resisted any thoughts of moving the budding superstar to the outfield. De La Cruz can also play third base but hasn't been there since his 2023 rookie year.
¡°Elly has been, ¡®Hey, when are you getting there?¡¯ I am like, ¡®Bro, we¡¯re playing the same position,¡¯ and just leave it there," Arroyo said. "It will be good if we play on the same team. They will figure it out. I can only control what I can right now.
¡°I feel like it¡¯s going to be the year. I just have to keep playing, keep doing my best. Hopefully I can get up there soon.¡±