Elly De La Cruz belts 13th home run as DH Monday

There was reason for concern after De La Cruz sprained his left ankle during Sunday’s series finale against the Pirates. The 24-year-old fantasy superstar was able to finish out the contest, just his second since returning from a three-week stint on the injured list with a hamstring strain, and the Reds have apparently determined that he won’t require any additional time off to recover. It’s an extremely encouraging sign that he’s ready for Monday’s contest in Milwaukee at DH while Matt McLain handles shortstop with rookie Edwin Arroyo at the keystone.

De La Cruz slipped coming out of the batter’s box on Sunday and later had to have his ankle taped. Reds manager Terry Francona said that the ankle “stiffened up” on De La Cruz after the game, and the team will need to re-evaluate him to decide whether or not a trip to the injured list is necessary. The Reds play seven days in a row this week, so the team could decide before Monday’s game.

De La Cruz has gone 1-for-9 at the dish across three games since returning from the injured list earlier this week. The 24-year-old fantasy superstar moves atop Cincinnati’s lineup for the first time this season after mostly hitting second or third. It’s possible this is merely one-game change with typical table-setter Blake Dunn sitting out due to an elbow injury. It’s a situation worth monitoring for the next couple days.

It’s challenging to read too much into a single lineup decision, but it qualifies as noteworthy that Arroyo is at the keystone during Elly De La Cruz’s first contest back from the injured list with Matt McLain on the bench. It’s also an extremely encouraging sign that Cincinnati chose to keep him around instead of shipping him back to the minors. It’ won’t be easy for Arroyo to carve out enough playing to make an impact in shallow fantasy leagues, but he’s clearly a significant part of Cincinnati’s future at second base.

The Reds’ star missed a little over three weeks with a hamstring strain and will be back in the lineup on Tuesday. The bigger question will be who is in the lineup alongside him. With the Reds sending Will Benson to the minors, all of Eugenio Suarez, Edwin Arroyo, Matt McLain, Sal Stewart, and Nathaniel Lowe remain in Cincinnati’s infield. It will be curious to see how they balance the playing time, but Elly needs to be back in all lineups.

De La Cruz went 2-for-8 with a home run during a brief three-game rehab stint with Triple-A Louisville over the weekend. The electrifying 24-year-old shortstop will rejoin Cincinnati’s lineup after missing just over three weeks with a low-grade hamstring strain. He was hitting .280/.346/.509 with 40 runs scored, 12 homers, 37 RBI and 10 steals through 58 games prior to the injury. The biggest question mark surrounding his arrival is whether top prospect Edwin Arroyo will remain in the big leagues as part of their second base rotation or wind up being shipped back to Triple-A.

De La Cruz singled, went deep and also walked, reaching base safely in all three of his plate appearances during his rehab debut. He also logged five innings at shortstop. The 24-year-old fantasy superstar looked impressive while kicking off his rehab assignment and figures to return to Cincinnati’s lineup at some point later next week. He’s been on the shelf recovering from a hamstring strain since late May.

Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters that De La Cruz could potentially return to Cincinnati’s lineup for next Tuesday’s contest against the division-rival Brewers. The 24-year-old fantasy superstar has been on the shelf with a hamstring strain since late May. All signs point to him returning early next week after getting a couple rehab contests under his belt.

De La Cruz will need to run the bases at full speed early this week before he’s officially cleared to return to minor league game action. The 24-year-old fantasy start underwent a followup MRI last Friday that showed significant progress in his recovery from a hamstring strain that put him on the shelf back in late May. He should make it back to Cincinnati before the end of June.

“He got, I’d say, very good news,” Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters on Friday. “He’s about 90 percent healed, which is fantastic.” He added that De La Cruz will continue ramping up baseball activities and that they’ll make a decision on his next steps, including a potential rehab assignment, later this weekend. All signs point to De La Cruz making it back to Cincinnati before the end of June, which is right in line with his initial 2-4 week recovery timeline.