Reds Are Taking an Unnecessary Risk With Elly De La Cruz

I'm sure it's surprising for you to read this, but the Cincinnati Reds don't have a plan with their star player.

During the Reds' exciting win Sunday night vs the Chicago Cubs, Elly De La Cruz left the game early with left quad tightness, the same injury that hampered him in 2025 and caused him to spend some time on the IL in 2026. While a normal franchise would have their guy rest and recover for the next game, that is not the case here, as Elly was back in the lineup on Monday night vs. the San Diego Padres. While Elly was the designated hitter, this isn't the way to move forward.

Back in December at the MLB winter meetings, Reds manager Terry Francona sat down with MLB.com beat writer Mark Sheldon to discuss the need for Elly to get some days off during the season.

"There were a lot of things going on. I think I need to take responsibility -- and I have, and I will," Francona told Sheldon. "I need to find ways to get him off his feet from time to time, and I didn't do a very good job of that, and I own up to that."

What Happened to the Plan?

Aug 30, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) gestures after hitting a double against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

So, what happened to this plan? Elly De La Cruz did get some time off early in the season, but not for rest; he spent time on the injured list due to a quad injury. Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall admitted that Elly had a quad strain during the 2025 season, further proving the point that the Reds are being irresponsible with their star player.

"If you look at his year last year -- and I think a lot of people don't know this -- at the end of the year, like toward the end of July, he was dealing with a partial torn quad", Krall said on the Reds Hot Stove show in November.

Which leads to the big question. What exactly are they doing? You can argue that last year it made sense to have Elly in the lineup daily because the Reds were in postseason contention, but at this point, the Reds are being irresponsible with De La Cruz's status.

It is admirable that Elly wants to be in the lineup every day, but sometimes you need to protect the athletes from themself. With 24 games remaining in the season as the last-place team in their division, the Reds need to treat their shortstop with kid gloves for the remainder of the season.

This isn't to say shut him down for the remainder of the season, but the Reds aren't playing for anything the rest of the way. It's time to mix in a few days off for De La Cruz and make sure he's as ready as possible for the 2027 season, whenever that begins. If you want him to DH a few days, that's fine, but also mix in a day off here and there. It isn't worth risking further injury.

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