Elly De La Cruz Has Funny Response to Terry Francona Giving Him a Break

The Reds’ offense tends to go as Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart go, and with De La Cruz entering Monday in the middle of a 2-for-34 slump, Cincinnati’s offense had been struggling in a big way. Reds manager Terry Francona decided to give De La Cruz a break from the field by using him at DH in the second game of Monday’s doubleheader, and the move paid off. De La Cruz delivered when it mattered most, ripping a 110 mph walk-off single down the left-field line in the 10th inning to give the Reds a 6-5 win over the Cardinals.

It was just the fourth time all season long that De La Cruz was the designated hitter. After the game he was asked about it.

“If he decides to put me at DH, it’s OK," De La Cruz told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "But not tomorrow though."

You have to admire how much De La Cruz wants to play every day and be there for his team, but ultimately he trusted his manager on Monday.

“It’s been a couple of tough days, but we’ve got to stay through it," De La Cruz said. "I didn’t say nothing when he told me to DH. I’ve got to believe that anything he does, it’s good. He’s the one who knows.”

The 24-year-old is slashing .261/.344/.475 with 44 extra-base hits and 21 stolen bases.

Good Vibes Only for Eugenio Suarez

Aug 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) hits a double in the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Eugenio Suarez continues to climb the record books in his return to Cincinnati. The veteran third baseman collected his 1,500th career hit on Friday, becoming just the fourth Reds player in the last 40 years to reach the milestone while playing for Cincinnati. He also hit four home runs on the road trip, giving him 207 as a Red, just three shy of tying Ken Griffey Jr. for ninth on the franchise’s all-time list.

Suarez could reach another major milestone on Tuesday. He enters Tuesday night with 999 career RBI, putting him just two away from 1,000. If he gets there, Suarez would become just the ninth active player to reach 1,000 career RBI.

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