Elly De La Cruz keeps carving out new space in Reds history, and Thursday brought another line for the ledger.
With a stolen base in the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, De La Cruz became the first player in Cincinnati Reds history to swipe at least 20 bags in each of his first four Major League seasons. For a franchise that has seen plenty of star power over the years, that’s a notable first for a 24-year-old who seems to add something new to the record book every week.
De La Cruz now leads Major League Baseball with 10 stolen bases in July, a sign his speed is back in full gear after he worked his way back from a hamstring injury earlier this season.
The Reds’ offense has leaned hard on the long ball this year. Cincinnati ranks tied for fifth in the majors with 139 home runs, and nearly half of the team’s runs - 49.8% - have come via the home run, which is the second-highest rate in baseball behind only Seattle.
They’ve also done damage to the opposite field better than anyone else, with a Major League-leading 30 opposite-field home runs. And they’re one of only six teams with at least four players who have reached 15 homers this season.
That power has been a big change from last year, when the Reds needed it badly. This season, they’ve found it - but they’ve also hit a wall with runners in scoring position, where they sit last in the big leagues.
The roster shuffle continued Thursday afternoon when the Reds activated infielder Matt McLain from the injured list and optioned Edwin Arroyo to Triple-A Louisville. Arroyo had been in the majors since the end of May, but he ran into trouble both in the field and at the plate, where his power never really showed up. He also walked just over three percent of the time.
Before Thursday’s game, Reds manager Terry Francona explained the move to reporters.
“For young kids, the game is going fast sometimes,” Francona told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. “You can’t get too carried away with your initial [impression].
We all have first thoughts. When a kid comes back, a lot of times they look stronger.
They look like they belong. They know where they’re going.
So that will be the hope.”
Arroyo was chasing over 37% of the time, a number that simply isn’t going to play at the big league level. The Reds haven’t closed the door on him; the question is only when he’ll be back.
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