Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz left Sunday afternoon’s game with an apparent hamstring injury. As he rounded first base on what was sure to be an extra-base hit in the fifth inning, he suddenly pulled up and went back to first. His immediate departure put a damper on an eventual 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves.
After the game, De La Cruz expressed cautious optimism, saying through an interpreter, “It’s obviously frustrating. I don’t like to be out of the game. But honestly, right now I don’t feel that bad.” He will have an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, and a stint on the injured list remains a significant possibility. As of now, the Reds are describing the injury as “right hamstring tightness.”
Elly De La Cruz Suffers Hamstring Injury, Awaits MRI Results
If De La Cruz has to go on the IL, it would be the first time in his career. It would be bad timing, as it was clear from spring training onward that he was possibly in store for a special season. He was well on his way to having one of the best offensive seasons by a Reds player in some time. Entering Sunday, the two-time All-Star was slashing .274/.339/.504 with 12 home runs and 37 RBI through 57 games. He also added 13 doubles and two triples.
Elly De La Cruz injured himself running to first and has been pulled from the game pic.twitter.com/WTEsMgTwtR
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 31, 2026
While he only has nine stolen bases so far (after leading the majors with 67 in 2024), De La Cruz’s combination of speed, power, and defensive ability makes him one of the game’s most versatile stars. The hope is that he can continue his early success this season when he returns. However, even if De La Cruz avoids the IL, he is still likely to miss one or more games. While he said in the postgame that he wants to be back in the lineup soon if the MRI results come back clean, the Reds will likely play it safer than that.
“Honestly, right now I don’t feel that bad.” Elly De La Cruz, indicating after the game that he thinks he caught hamstring before he did any serious damage. Will wait on the hamstring MRI Monday and then see how it goes but right now says he doesn’t feel too bad at all. Reds may… pic.twitter.com/Ma9FS2ZJni
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) May 31, 2026
Main Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
