CINCINNATI — The first ball hit fair in Edwin Arroyo’s first big-league game was a popup like he’d seen thousands and thousands of times in his 22 years — straight up in the air and just like on the fields in Puerto Rico growing up, in the minor leagues from Modesto, Calif., to Louisville, Ky., Arroyo found his way underneath the ball and made an easy catch.Welcome to the big leagues.“You want to really make sure you catch it,” Arroyo said of the first-inning popup. “Besides that, it’s just a fly ball in a nicer stadium.”Two batters later, the Cincinnati Reds were behind the Kansas City Royals 4-0 and would go on to lose 9-2, but regardless, Arroyo is now officially a big leaguer.“Something always is going to happen the first game, but now we (turn) the page and be ready for the second game,” Arroyo said.After spot starter Lyon Richardson — who had stepped in for an ill Chase Burns — allowed a grand slam in the first inning, Arroyo started the top of the second with a sliding stop on a grounder by Royals third baseman Nick Loftin. Arroyo quickly sprang to his feet and made an easy throw to first for the out, earning applause from the crowd of 19,409 and pitcher Caleb Ferguson.
That's a big league play, @ZaedEdwin pic.twitter.com/0KJABT0bT8
