Dateline: Cincinnati
It is among the rarest of sights when you look down on the playing surface at Great American Ball Park and the statuesque Elly De La Cruz is not on it.
The Reds star shortstop played in 160 games in 2024 and all 162 last season, even when he flew to the Dominican Republic on an off day to honor his sister, who just passed away.
He left the game in the fifth inning after pulling up on what normally would have been a double to the right centerfield gap that bounced off the wall. After not missing a game since, July 30, 2024 his streak of 277 straight games is in some doubt. He felt his hamstring get tight.
"He will have an MRI at 9:00 am and we will know more," a hopeful manager Terry Francona said. "He feels like he caught it before he did anything worse. I saw him pull up then I just saw him just stand there. He didn't reach for anything. Let's kind of hope. He's a pretty miraculous kid."
De La Cruz, played through leg issue's last season but stayed in the line up from wire to wire. This wasn't the same and everything hinges on the Monday morning MRI.
With assistant trainer, Thomas Vera, also acting as an interpreter, De La Cruz explained the feeling and what it means to the best of his knowledge.
"When I was running and making the turn to get to first, I felt tightness on my hamstring and immediately I decided to stop," De La Cruz said. "I felt if I keep going this could get worse. I don't think it is something bad, I really don't. We'll see what the MRI says tomorrow."
Last year's pain felt different. He had 18 home runs at the All-Star break last season but had just four after July 30. He stole 37 bases last season but just nine in his last 56 games. That was a quad injury not a hamstring.
"Last year I had a quad on my left side, this is a hamstring on my right side but no it doesn't feel the same as it felt last year," De La Cruz said. "I don't like to be out of the game. It's a little frustrating. Honestly, I don't feel that bad. We will see with the MRI tomorrow. I don't know if I will play but we will see. It could have been worse. I don't have pain or soreness. It is just tight."
Right now De La Cruz is on the longest playing streak by any Reds' player since 1970. His streak is the third active in the Major Leagues behind the Braves Matt Olson, who played in his 843rd straight today and Pete Alonso with the Baltimore Orioles, who was on a streak of 475 to start the day.
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