Elly De La Cruz leaves game with concerning injury

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Elly De La Cruz leaves game with concerning injury

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated May 31, 2026 3:39 PM ET

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz left Sunday’s game with a concerning injury he suffered while running the bases.

De La Cruz ripped a ball up the gap during the fifth inning of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Oh. He pulled up as he neared first and seemed to be favoring his right leg.

The injury was concerning enough that the Reds opted to pull their shortstop from the game.

Elly De La Cruz injured himself running to first and has been pulled from the game pic.twitter.com/WTEsMgTwtR
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 31, 2026

The immediate concern for De La Cruz would be that he suffered some sort of muscle injury, perhaps a hamstring. Those can linger and keep players out for weeks at a time, and De La Cruz is a player the Reds cannot afford to lose.

De La Cruz, 24, has hit .274 with 12 home runs for the Reds this season. The two-time All-Star also has nine stolen bases.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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