Elly De La Cruz left Sunday’s game with an injury, and the Cincinnati Reds suddenly have a shortstop decision to make. That change has made Edwin Arroyo a much clearer candidate for a call-up, with the club now weighing whether its best answer is already in the system.
It is the kind of opening that can reshape an infield in a single inning. De La Cruz’s exit matters today because it puts immediate pressure on a position the Reds had expected to stabilize, and it comes at a time when Arroyo is making noise in his first taste of Triple-A.
Arroyo, 20, missed the 2024 season with a similar injury to the one that slowed Matt McLain, then returned to hit.284/.345/.371 in Double-A with 30 extra-base hits, including four homers. This year he has looked louder. In 53 games, he is slashing.323/.383/.562 with 25 extra-base hits and 11 home runs, production that has turned his name from an intriguing possibility into a serious option.
That surge did not happen by accident. During spring training, Arroyo said he had changed his approach to lift the ball more often, a shift that has shown up in the power numbers. He said he had a lot of hits last year and wanted more doubles, triples and homers, adding that it would come if he stopped trying to force it and simply put the ball in the air.
The Reds also have a complication that keeps this from being a simple promotion story. McLain debuted at shortstop in May 2023, then moved to second base when De La Cruz arrived the following month, and he has thrived there this season. He is plus-three outs above average, after being plus-four last year and plus-two in his shorter debut season, and manager Terry Francona still believes in him. Arroyo has played more at second base this season, has learned third base and remains a natural shortstop, which is why De La Cruz’s injury could eventually force another infield shift if the team needs to keep McLain where he has been most comfortable.
For now, the Reds do not have to decide everything at once. They need a shortstop if De La Cruz misses time, and Arroyo’s bat has made that answer easier to picture than it was a week ago. What remains unresolved is how long De La Cruz will be out, and whether Cincinnati decides his replacement should arrive from Triple-A before the roster has time to settle.
