ST. LOUIS – The Cincinnati Reds’ top pitcher and best hitter both appear to be ahead of schedule in rehab work to get back from the injured list.
Whether either can make it back in time to make a major difference for a swooning playoff hopeful, Elly De La Cruz, for one, has been spotted regularly taking his glove with him before games as if he’s playing.
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“When I came in (Friday) he had his glove on. I think he was throwing the ball against the wall or something,” said manager Terry Francona, whose All-Star shortstop has been aggressive with upper body work and such baseball activities as taking grounders from his knees since landing on the IL with a hamstring injury a week ago.
De La Cruz hasn’t pushed the hamstring aggressively in supervised running yet, but he’s shown enough progress that his scheduled followup MRI has been moved up from June 15 to June 12, at which point the medical staff is to determine how much he can ramp up activity.
De La Cruz was diagnosed with a strain that Francona characterized as between Grade 1 and 2 in severity.
Hunter Greene, shown during spring training in February, is expected to befing facing hitters early next week.
Meanwhile, ace Hunter Greene, who has bone chips removed from his elbow in March, is expected to progress in his throwing program to facing hitters early in the week after several bullpen sessions over the past two weeks.
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Barring a setback, he would do that again later in the week, a progression that Francona said could mean a return from the IL during the first homestand in July.
“Hunter looks really good. He looked really healthy,” said Francona, who got an up-close look when Greene joined the team during the recent homestand for a bullpen session. “I think he feels that way, too, because the schedule got altered a little bit where he could maybe make some starts hopefully before the All-Star break, which is definitely on the early end of the schedule that we’ve set out.”
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
We dug through the Enquirer archives and found some of our favorite photos of Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Jim Maloney.
The All-Star pitcher threw two no-hitters for the Reds and leads the team’s strikeout leaders list with 1,592.
Take a look at Maloney through the years.
(The Enquirer/Herb Heise)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
We dug through the Enquirer archives and found some of our favorite photos of Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Jim Maloney.
The All-Star pitcher threw two no-hitters for the Reds and leads the team’s strikeout leaders list with 1,592.
Take a look at Maloney through the years.
(The Enquirer/Herb Heise)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 17, 1961: Reds pitchers Jim Maloney, left, and Jim O’Toole ham it up in anticipation of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
(Carl Wellinger/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 21, 1961: Reds coach Jim Turner, center, talks pitching. Listening to Turning are, left to right, Jim O’Toole, Jim Maloney, Jay Hook and Claude Osteen.
(Carl Wellinger/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 2, 1964: Jim Maloney offers advice to Sammy Ellis, left, in the Cincinnati Reds’ clubhouse at Tampa.
(Herb Heise/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
1964: Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney.
(Carl Wellinger/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney pitches at Crosley Field.
(Malcolm Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 1965: Jim Maloney with wife Carolyn and daughter Jamie Rae.
(Herb Heise/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney pitches at Crosley Field.
(Malcolm Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 1965: Jim Maloney with with Carolyn and daughter Jamie Rae.
(Herb Heise/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
August 1965: Jim Maloney.
(Herb Heise/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney pitches at Crosley Field.
(Malcolm Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 5, 1967: Reds veteran Jim Maloney, left, chats with rookie Gary Nolan at spring training.
(Fred Straub/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 1968: Cincinnati Reds player Jim Maloney.
(Fred Straub/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 14, 1968: From left, pitcher Jim Maloney, infielder Leo Cardenas and outfielder Vada Pinson.
(Fred Straub/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney pitches at Crosley Field.
(Malcolm Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 1968: Cincinnati Reds player Jim Maloney.
(Fred Straub/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 1968: Cincinnati Reds player Jim Maloney.
(Fred Straub/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
March 1968: Cincinnati Reds player Jim Maloney.
(Fred Straub/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney pitches at Crosley Field.
(Malcolm Emmons/USA TODAY Sports)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
May 3, 1969: Reds’ general manager Bob Howsam tears up Jim Maloney’s old contract, much to Maloney’s pleasure. Jim got a new contract with a $1,000 raise after pitching a no-hitter.
(Fred Straub/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
May 1969: Cincinnati Reds player Jim Maloney.
(Fred Straub/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
April 1970: Cincinnati Reds player Jim Maloney during his recovery after rupturing his Achilles tendon.
(Mark Treitel/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
April 1970: Cincinnati Reds player Jim Maloney during his recovery after rupturing his Achilles tendon.
(Mark Treitel/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
Aug. 9, 1973: Jim Maloney, a Cincinnati Reds pitcher for 11 years, was officially inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame. Maloney pitched a ten-inning no hitter against the Cubs in 1965. He also threw a 10-inning no-hitter against Houston in 1969.
(Dick Swaim/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
Former Reds, from left, Bobby Tolan, Ken Griffey Sr. and Jim Maloney share a laugh Saturday at the annual Old Timers game.
(Ernest Coleman/The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
June 24, 2012: Cincinnati Reds players Bronson Arroyo and Homer Bailey join Reds Hall of Fame member Jim Maloney on stage for an introduction during the start of the induction ceremony held at the Duke Energy Center.
(Greg Loring for The Enquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
July 5, 2013: Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney throws out the first pitch to former Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Edwards during pregame ceremonies.
(Joseph Fuqua II/TheEnquirer)
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Jim Maloney, Cincinnati Reds strikeout leader who threw two no-hitters
Aug. 8, 2014: Cincinnati Reds great Jim Maloney participates in a post game ceremony honoring Reds Hall of Famers and alumni at Great American Ball Park.
(Jeff Swinger/The Enquirer)
The Reds’ roster has been hammered by injuries since entering May in first place in the National League Central.
They’ve dropped to last place since then, including six losses in eight games through Friday, losing closer Emilio Pagán (hamstring) in early May, then leverage relievers Graham Ashcraft (elbow) and Pierce Johnson (elbow) on back-to-back days during a late-May flurry of injuries that also included De La Cruz’s hamstring.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Hunter Greene, Elly De La Cruz appear ahead of schedule in rehab for Reds