Reds Get Encouraging Injury News on Elly De La Cruz and Emilio Pagán

The Cincinnati Reds have dealt with a number of injuries to key players this season. Two major contributors are just a few steps away from making their return.

Elly De La Cruz Is Back In Louisville

The Reds announced that star shortstop Elly De La Cruz has been assigned to Triple-A Louisville to take part in a rehab assignment for his hamstring injury he suffered on May 31 against the Atlanta Braves. The team announced on Friday.

De La Cruz has been phenomenal this season and has shown massive growth defensively. The two-time All-Star has just four errors on the year after consecutive seasons leading the league in errors and at the plate. He is hitting the ball exceptionally well from both sides of the plate.

He's slashing .299/.342/.642 versus left-handed pitching and .273/.348/.455 versus right-handed pitching. Had the injury not occurred, he's without a doubt an All-Star for the third consecutive season and a serious threat to be the starter. Having him make an appearance with Triple-A Louisville and not further down at a lower level means he's just a few days away from returning and will help the Reds offense get going during the summer stretch.

Emilio Pagan Throws Live Bullpen Session in New York

Closer Emilio Pagan threw his first live batting practice with the Reds on Friday ahead of game one of their series in New York against the Yankees according to Charlie Goldsmith.

Pagan went down in agony with a hamstring strain on May 5 in Chicago. While he wasn't quite performing up to the standard he set last season, he was said to have been dealing with tightness for a few weeks prior to the injury, so that may be a contributing factor to the lack of success he was experiencing. He was one of the better closers in Major League Baseball last season and set a career high in saves with 32.

Getting a healthy Pagan back along with Pierce Johnson, who was recently sent on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville, will be a massive shot in the arm for a Reds bullpen that was once one of the better bullpens in baseball. That all came crashing down once the calendar flipped to May, and they are now one of the worst in baseball. They lead baseball in walks with the bases loaded, and they imploded in Pittsburgh on May 2 when they walked seven consecutive batters, four straight after loading the bases.

If the hamstring was the cause of Pagan's shortcomings to start the season, getting him back and fully healthy is crucial to help shore up this bullpen that has shown signs of improvement.

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