The Cincinnati Reds were able to grab a big win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, taking down Atlanta 4-0.
Cincinnati may be out of the playoff picture in the National League, but they can still play spoiler when it comes to how the seeding turns out. The Reds will again be looking to get a win over Atlanta in the second game of the series.
First pitch for the game will take place at 4:15 p.m. PT/7:15 p.m. ET. Both sides are looking to take this game, for very different reasons.
Elly De La Cruz Decision Announced by Reds
Ahead of the game, the Reds have released the lineup against the Braves. Within this, star Elly De La Cruz will be hitting second for Cincinnati.
Reds 9/23
J. Brito RF
E. De La Cruz SS
S. Stewart 1B
D. Myers CF
E. Suárez DH
M. McLain 2B
O. Cabrera LF
W. Banfield C
K. Hayes 3BA. Abbott SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 23, 2026
De La Cruz has been awesome for the Reds this season, doing a little of everything for the franchise. But he wasn’t able to get this team back into the playoffs.
Overall, he has hit .288 with 29 home runs, 76 RBIs, and 29 stolen bases, while posting an OPS of .891. The Reds star is looking to become the fourth player in franchise history to reach the 30/30 club, and he inched a little closer in the first game against the Braves.
Now only needing one more of each statistic, De La Cruz could be on his way to joining this feat. However, he isn’t thinking about this; instead, the star is just focusing on what he can do to help the team win games.
“Yeah, I want to, but I’m not thinking about that stuff right now,” De La Cruz said. “I’m just enjoying the game.”
De La Cruz has earned the respect around the league as one of the top stars that the game has to offer. But inside the Reds clubhouse is where the star infielder has really been making waves.
“He’s been awesome,” third baseman Eugenio Suárez said. “It’s really fun to watch him, everything he’s doing on both sides — on defense, on offense, both sides of the plate. It’s been great. I’m so happy for me being next to him and having good success at the end of the season.
“I tell him, ‘Never stop. Be that guy who wants more and more and more every year.’”
Will Elly De La Cruz Stay With Reds Long-Term?
De La Cruz has three years left on his current contract with Cincinnati, and there have been rumors about whether he would stay long-term. Most people tend to lean toward him not staying with the Reds, but weird things have happened before.
Unless the Reds start to win more consistently, De La Cruz could be heading for the exits. But this team does have a lot of young talent on it, and they did make the playoffs a year ago.
All in all, only time will tell, but the Reds will need to prove to their star why he should remain in Cincinnati for the long haul.
Reds Announce Elly De La Cruz Move During Braves Series