The New York Yankees open a three-game homestand against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night, and the matchup arrives with one major absence for Cincinnati: Elly De La Cruz is out with a hamstring strain. Rhett Lowder is scheduled to start for the Reds against Cam Schlittler, with first pitch set for 7:05 pm ET.
That is why Reds vs Yankees is drawing attention again. The Reds are 35-38 and last in the NL Central, yet they have still won three of four series against the Yankees since the schedule changed in 2022. That run gives this weekend more bite than a typical interleague set, especially with Cincinnati trying to keep moving without the player who usually changes the shape of its lineup.
Without De La Cruz, the Reds’ offense is expected to lean on Sal Stewart, Nathaniel Lowe and JJ Bleday. Stewart leads the club with 14 doubles and 14 homers, while Bleday has hit.265/.367/.572 with 13 homers and a 153 OPS+ in 45 games. The numbers explain why the offense still has some punch even after losing its most dynamic regular.
Bleday’s line looks especially strong in the short view because much of it comes from a hot stretch in May 2024, when he put up a 1.018 OPS and won NL Player of the Month. Strip away that month and the production is still useful, but the difference shows how much one surge can lift a season stat line when the sample is only 45 games.
Lowder matters just as much on the other side of the ball. He missed the entire 2025 season with injuries, then returned after missing a full month in May with a shoulder injury. In his most recent start, he allowed one run in 5.2 innings against the Diamondbacks, which is the kind of outing Cincinnati needs if it is going to survive a weekend without De La Cruz.
The Yankees arrive with some momentum of their own after taking two of three from the White Sox, scoring double-digit runs in each of their victories. All three games of the series will be shown on YES, and the next one on the board is Saturday at 1:35 pm ET, when Will Warren is scheduled to start against Andrew Abbott. For the Reds, the question is not whether they can explain their history against the Yankees. It is whether they can extend it while their best-known bat sits out another night.
