De La Cruz Clears 90% Healing Mark; Reds Offense Faces Extended Absence Window

Elly De La Cruz ran the bases at Great American Ball Park on Monday—a milestone that signals his right hamstring strain is approaching game readiness. The Reds shortstop has been sidelined since June 1 after pulling the muscle while running the bases against Atlanta on May 31. An MRI conducted Friday revealed the injury at roughly 90% healed, clearing him to intensify his recovery work. Manager Terry Francona expects a Minor League rehab assignment to begin this weekend, likely with Triple-A Louisville, pending no setbacks over the next 48 hours.

The timing matters because Cincinnati's offense has cratered in De La Cruz's absence. The Reds are 3-9 since he landed on the injured list, and 12-16 overall in that span. De La Cruz, 24, was carrying the lineup at .280 with an .855 OPS, 12 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 10 steals across 58 games before the injury. His presence at the top of the order frames run production differently—he generates both power and speed, a combination that forces opposing pitchers into different sequencing against the rest of the lineup. Without him, the Reds have reverted to a more predictable, slower-paced offense that struggles to manufacture runs against league-average pitching.

The rehab assignment itself typically lasts three to five games at the Minor League level, depending on the player's workload tolerance and the team's comfort with escalation. In De La Cruz's case, the Reds will be watching for hamstring stability under game conditions—cutting, explosive lateral movement, and sustained effort across nine innings. A hamstring strain at 90% healing is not the same as 100% ready; the final 10% often matters most under competitive stress. If he completes a four-game rehab window without complaint, an active roster return arrives around June 22-23. If there's any inflammation or mechanical compensation during games, the timeline extends to early July.

For bettors, this creates a window of elevated predictability in Reds run-scoring lines. Cincinnati's team total against average-to-below-average pitching will be artificially depressed over the next week as the market still prices in an offense operating without its catalyst. De La Cruz's absence has already cost Cincinnati roughly 0.4 runs per game relative to his season production; that gap should contract sharply once he returns. Against righties—where De La Cruz's speed advantage is most pronounced—Reds totals under 4.0 in games scheduled before June 22 represent fade opportunities. The market hasn't fully repriced the offensive gap that closes the moment he returns.