The Cincinnati Reds are down one of their most important players.
Shortstop Elly De La Cruz is going on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain, the Reds announced Monday.
De La Cruz exited Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves with the injury after singling to centre field in the fifth inning. He was set to undergo an MRI on Monday.
With the Reds leading 3-2, De La Cruz sent a ball into the gap against Braves starter Spencer Strider. The contact normally would have gone for a double but De La Cruz grimaced as he reached first base and stopped. He walked off the field on his own after meeting briefly with training staff.
“He feels like he caught it before it did anything worse,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “Saying that, we're going to get him scanned at nine in the morning and we'll know more.”
De La Cruz has appeared in 276 consecutive games, the sixth-longest streak for a Reds player in the expansion era (since 1961). His streak began on July 30, 2024.
“I don’t believe it is something bad. I really don't," De La Cruz said Sunday. “We’ll see what the MRI says tomorrow. I don't feel that bad. I don't know if I'll be playing tomorrow. I don't like to be out of the game.”
Prior to the injury, De La Cruz was two-for-two with two runs scored and a walk. He's batting .280 with 12 home runs this season.
“He's the heart and soul of this team,” Reds left fielder JJ Bleday said. “When everyone thinks Reds right now they're thinking Elly De La Cruz. Hopefully it's nothing serious.”
— With files from Associated Press
