Reds Confirm Worst Fears With Elly De La Cruz Injury Update

In the fifth inning on Sunday's 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves, there was a moment where all Reds fans collectively held their breath. Elly De La Cruz hit a ball in the gap, which was easily going to be a double and possibly even a triple, but after rounding first base, De La Cruz grabbed at his hamstring and pulled up. He left the game.

On Monday, the Reds announced that De La Cruz was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. With De La Cruz hitting the injured list, they have called up top prospect Edwin Arroyo.

In an unrelated move, the Reds designated Yunior Marte for assignment and selected the contract of Brandon Leibrandt.

If there is a silver lining, it's that De La Cruz was optimistic about the injury after the game.

“It’s obviously frustrating, I don’t like to be out of the game, "De La Cruz said. "But honestly, right now I don’t feel that bad.”

The Reds Cannot Afford to Rush Him Back

May 31, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly de la Cruz (44) scores a run against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Hamstring injuries are tough to deal with because they can linger if you rush back. Take a look at Reds' closer Emilio Pagan. He was dealing with a hamstring injury earlier this season, continued to pitch, and then ended up with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. That is the last thing the Reds need from De La Cruz.

Hamstring injuries have one of the higher recurrence rates in professional sports. The Reds need Elly De La Cruz to be Elly De La Cruz when he is back. We saw how much De La Cruz struggled in the second half of the 2025 season when he tried to play through a quad injury.

There are four months left in the season. While the Reds will certainly miss him, they don't need to make matters worse.

Arroyo's Role

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Edwin Arroyo (56) runs for first base in the third inning of a Cactus League game between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Edwin Arroyo has been having one of his best offensive seasons of his career with Triple-A Louisville. It'll be interesting to see how the Reds deploy him. Will he simply replace De La Cruz as their everyday shortstop? Will he platoon some with Matt McLain, causing Sal Stewart and Spencer Steer to play more second base? Yes, Arroyo is a switch-hitter, but he's much better against right-handed pitching.

Earlier this month, Arroyo talked about his dream of being a big-leaguer potentially coming true.

“That's the dream, that's what I've always worked for,” he told Owen Graham of MiLB.com. “So I have to keep going, do my best, control what I can, and wait until they make their move.”

With McLain's struggles, it seems like Arroyo should get a fair shot to be the everyday guy at shortstop. Like all rookies, there's no doubt he will go through some growing pains, but it's time for the kid to show what he can do.

The #Reds today announced the following transactions: pic.twitter.com/aI0QRprjXL
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 1, 2026

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