Elly De La Cruz left the Reds’ game against the Atlanta Braves on May 31 after pulling out of his sprint through first base in the fifth inning, and Cincinnati sent him for an MRI at 9 a.m. on June 1. The shortstop’s next step will tell the club whether this is a brief scare or something that could finally interrupt one of baseball’s most durable active streaks.
De La Cruz’s consecutive games run stands at 276, the third-longest by a Reds player since 1970 and the third-longest active streak in Major League Baseball. That is why the MRI matters beyond one late-game exit. The Reds were back at Great American Ball Park that night to host the Kansas City Royals at 7:10 p.m., and any missed time would force the club to decide whether it can absorb the loss in place or needs to start moving pieces.
Francona said after the game that De La Cruz “feels like he caught it before it did anything worse,” and added that the team would get him scanned in the morning and know more. De La Cruz sounded similarly guarded afterward. He said he was not in pain and did not think the injury was serious, even though he could be seen rounding first base slowly and looking uncomfortable as he returned to the bag.
That disconnect is what gives the story its edge. De La Cruz has already played through a quad injury for a large part of 2025, and last season he played while grieving the death of his sister, which has helped build his reputation as someone who keeps going. But hamstring problems do not always announce themselves cleanly, and the Reds know that if the MRI shows damage, a few days off or a stint on the injured list could follow.
If that happens, the roster question gets harder. A longer absence could open the door for a call-up of Edwin Arroyo, Cincinnati’s most MLB-ready prospect, a natural shortstop who has been getting more experience at other positions. For now, though, the Reds are waiting on the scan that could determine whether De La Cruz misses time or keeps the streak alive one more day.
