The Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz is nearing a return to the team after leaving a May 31 game against the Atlanta Braves due to a right hamstring strain he suffered while running around first base. Manager Terry Francona told Joe Danneman of Fox19 that De La Cruz's latest scans on the injury came back encouraging, with the shortstop's hamstring roughly 90 percent healed.
Francona said that De La Cruz wanted to play Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but the team decided to hold him out past the weekend before making a decision on a return or potential rehab games.
The 24-year-old De La Cruz has been one of the National League’s most productive hitters before the injury. The two-time All-Star carried a .280 batting average with 12 home runs, 37 RBIs and a .855 OPS in 58 games. A 2.6 WAR places him second among NL shortstops and fourth in the majors at the position according to FanGraphs.
De La Cruz was placed on the 10-day injured list on June 1 after an MRI revealed a right hamstring strain, with an initial recovery timeline of two to four weeks. The stint marked the first trip to the IL in his career, ending a streak of 276 consecutive games played.
With De La Cruz out, Matt McLain has taken over more starts at shortstop, while Edwin Arroyo and Noelvi Marte have taken over more starts in the field.
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No decision has been made on whether De La Cruz will need a rehab assignment before he rejoins Cincinnati. For now, the shortstop has increased the intensity of his workouts and will see how his hamstring responds after the weekend.
