Breaking: Reds officially cut their second baseman because he accepted a contract offer to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Reds second baseman Matt McLain has shoulder surgery and will be sidelined for extended period

CINCINNATI (AP) – Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain had surgery on his left shoulder and will be sidelined for an extended period.

Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said the operation took place Tuesday to address cartilage damage and repair the labrum.

“An exact timeline is still TBD as it has a wide range of possibilities. We hope to have Matt back this season,” Krall said in a statement Wednesday.

The 24-year-old McLain last played in a spring training game on March 17 and was hurt the following day while diving for a ball during a workout. Reds manager David Bell revealed the injury on March 20, the day Cincinnati acquired infielder Santiago Espinal from Toronto.

McLain hit. 290 with 16 homers, 50 RBIs and 14 stolen bases last year, finishing fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Cincinnati starts Thursday against Washington and also will be without third baseman Noelvi Marte, serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, and center fielder T.J. Friedl, who has a broken right wrist.

FILE -Cincinnati Reds second base Matt McLain takes a throw down to second base during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Phoenix. The Cincinnati Reds are bracing for the possibility of another key player being unavailable for the season opener after second baseman Matt McLain’s recent injury to his non-throwing shoulder.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)