Reds' Elly De La Cruz leaves vs. Braves in 5th inning due to hamstring tightness, will get MRI

“When I was making the turn to get to first, I felt tightness in my hamstring and immediately decided to stop because I felt like if I keep going it could get worse," De La Cruz said, via interpreter Tomas Vera.

With the Reds leading 3-2, De La Cruz sent a ball into the gap against Braves starter Spencer Strider. The contact normally would have gone for a double, but De La Cruz grimaced as he reached first base and stopped. He walked off the field on his own after meeting briefly with training staff.

“He feels like he caught it before it did anything worse,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “Saying that, we're going to get him scanned at 9 in the morning and we'll know more.”

De La Cruz has appeared in 276 consecutive games, the sixth-longest streak for a Reds player in the expansion era (since 1961). His streak began on July 30, 2024.

“I don’t believe it is something bad. I really don't," De La Cruz said. “We’ll see what the MRI says tomorrow. I don't feel that bad. I don't know if I'll be playing tomorrow. I don't like to be out of the game.”

Prior to the injury, De La Cruz was 2 for 2 with two runs scored and a walk. He's batting .280 with 12 home runs this season.

“He's the heart and soul of this team,” Reds left fielder JJ Bleday said. “When everyone thinks Reds right now they're thinking Elly De La Cruz. Hopefully it's nothing serious.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb