Elly De La Cruz Eager to Rejoin Reds, But Travel Setback Delays ...
Apple TV shared the news before Friday's game against the Diamondbacks.
www.si.comHere’s the latest public reporting on Elly De La Cruz.
-
On-field health and spring status: Reports in early 2026 indicated De La Cruz was feeling fully healthy and showing strong batting metrics in spring training, with attention on his continued development and conditioning after a 2025 season that included a quad injury late in the year. This suggests he entered the season with high expectations for a bounce-back performance at the plate.[2]
-
2025 season context: De La Cruz remained a focal point for the Reds, including handling the defensive responsibilities at shortstop while the organization considered how to best map their infield, despite leading the majors in errors in prior seasons; management signaled a plan to keep him at shortstop for the near term. These decisions frame his role going into 2026 as a core contributor with room for lineup and positional adjustments as needed.[4]
-
Personal notes during 2025: He faced family tragedy when his sister Genelis passed away in mid-2025 and he temporarily left team duties to be with family, returning to game action afterward; this event added a personal narrative to his season and highlighted his commitment to the team and his family.[3][6]
-
Context from coverage: Multiple outlets highlighted De La Cruz’s combination of speed and power, and how his development off the field was shaping expectations for 2026, including questions about how the Reds would balance infield depth with his skill set and offensive upside.[1][6]
If you’d like, I can pull the most recent game-by-game updates or provide a quick timeline of his 2025-2026 status with sources.