The Cincinnati Reds got some good news on superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz. The young star’s rehab from a hamstring injury has progressed to the point where they’re moving up the MRI, according to FOX 19 Cincinnati’s Charlie Goldsmith.
As Goldsmith points out, this is the next step in De La Cruz’s rehab from his hamstring injury. The fact that it’s being moved up three days, from June 15 to June 12, is a good sign for his rehab.
The Reds placed De La Cruz on the injured list on June 1 after he suffered the injury against the Atlanta Braves the day before. Manager Terry Francona revealed that De La Cruz has between a Grade 1 and 2 hamstring strain. He estimated the star shortstop would be reimaged in roughly two weeks at the time.
While their superstar shortstop has been out, the Reds have relied on top prospect Edwin Arroyo. Arroyo is 2-for-10 at the plate in his first four MLB games.
What’s Next for Elly De La Cruz?
Manager Terry Francona initially estimated a two-to-four-week absence for his starting shortstop. Assuming the MRI shows that the hamstring is healing as it should, it could be closer to the shorter end of that timeline.
Goldsmith reports that Elly De La Cruz is doing “light work” in the grass. The Reds have to be careful to prevent potential setbacks concerning the hamstring.
There will come a time when he starts ramping up the running, which is the next step. Most likely, it will still be a while before De La Cruz progresses to rehab games. Most likely, they will want him playing back-to-back games before activating him from the injured list.
It shouldn’t be too long a rehab assignment, assuming a shorter-term injury. There will be a return-to-play protocol for De La Cruz, so he might not play every day when he returns. In that scenario, the Reds will continue to rely on Matt McLain at shortstop and Spencer Steer at second base.
However, that’s only a temporary arrangement until the club feels comfortable playing De La Cruz every day.
Reds Season on the Brink in June
The 2026 season was supposed to be a year the Reds took the next step. It looked that way early in the season, as they entered May with a 20-11 record.
However, they are 11-20 since, and are fading out of the National League’s postseason picture. As of June 5, they have a 3.1% odds to make the postseason on Baseball Reference and 9.1% on FanGraphs.
The team is missing key contributors, including De La Cruz, Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft, and Emilio Pagan. Pagan and Ashcraft’s injuries have been the most consequential, as the Reds’ bullpen has struggled over the last month.
Stabilizing the bullpen is probably the most important area for the Reds over the next six weeks. If they can solve that problem, then the return of players like De La Cruz and Greene will carry more impact. In that scenario, the Reds could repeat 2025 and make a late run at a Wild Card spot.
Reds Give Positive Injury Update on Elly De La Cruz