In the wake of the injury news to superstar shortstop Elly De La Cruz, the Cincinnati Reds announced a series of roster moves. The two big news to pay attention to are that De La Cruz is headed for the 10-day injured list (right hamstring) while prospect Edwin Arroyo has been promoted from Triple-A Louisville.
The biggest consequence of this move is that the Reds will be without their superstar shortstop for at least the next 10 days. De La Cruz will undergo imaging to determine the extent. He told Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19 Cincinnati that he doesn’t believe the injury is bad and if the imaging comes back clean, he expects to return to the lineup soon.
If it comes back clean, De La Cruz says he’s ready and wants to be in the lineup soon.
De La Cruz, 24, was in the midst of a breakout season for the Reds. He ranked sixth among qualified players with 2.7 fWAR, in large part due to his improvement at the plate. He was on track to possibly be the National League’s starting shortstop for the 2026 MLB All-Star game for the injury.
Reds Promote Edwin Arroyo for MLB Debut
Edwin Arroyo, 21, is one of the key pieces that came back to Cincinnati in the Luis Castillo deadline deal in 2022. He currently ranks as the organization’s No. 3 prospect, behind catcher Alfredo Duno and infielder Steele Hall, and No. 98 overall.
Arroyo is a switch-hitter, like De La Cruz, and should handle the shortstop position for at least the next 10 days. He was added to the Reds’ 40-man roster in the offseason and will use the first of his three minor league options this season.
MLB Pipeline gives a 55 future value on Arroyo, which projects him as an above-average regular (~3.0 WAR per 600 plate appearances). While he is currently blocked at his natural position by De La Cruz, he’s controllable through the 2032 season.
The next 10 days will be a test to see if Arroyo will remain a part of the future in Cincinnati. In addition to De La Cruz, top prospect Sal Stewart is a fixture on the infield. If the young infielder proves himself, he could put pressure on starting second baseman Matt McLain. Arroyo could either push McLain out of the infield or out of the lineup entirely.
Reds Shuffle Bullpen Mix
While Elly De La Cruz and Edwin Arroyo are the biggest names in this flurry of roster moves, there was also a pitching move included. Brandon Leibrandt has been brought up from Triple-A, while Yunior Marte was designated for assignment.
Marte, 31, is a hard-throwing right-hander who has never found much success at the major league level. He averages north of 97 MPH on both a four-seamer and sinker. His primary second pitch is a gyro slider.
Marte appeared in the major leagues for the first time in two seasons on May 29. However, the right-hander got blasted for four runs while retiring just one batter against the Braves. Ultimately, it turned a one-run deficit into a five-run loss.
The Reds’ bullpen has struggled in the wake of closer Emilio Pagan’s injury. For May, they featured the fourth-highest ERA (4.98) and second-worst win probability added (-2.83) in MLB. The collapse of their bullpen led to a 10-17 record for the month.
Cincinnati is hoping Leibrandt can alleviate some of those bullpen issues. The left-hander last appeared for the Reds in the 2024 season, surrendering seven runs in 6.1 innings. He’s a soft-tosser, averaging 87.9 MPH on his fastball.
As a starter in Louisville, he should give Cincinnati some length if they need someone to eat innings. That comes on a day that the Reds will be without three of their top relievers, with Tony Santillan, Brock Burke, and Sam Moll pitching back-to-backs.
Reds Promote Top Prospect for MLB Debut Amid Elly De La Cruz Injury News