CHICAGO – Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz chose to play Sunday after learning about the death of his older sister, Genelis.
A news report from the Dominican Republic said Genelis De La Cruz Sanchez, a mother of two, died Saturday after a lengthy battle with health issues.
“We just told him we’ll support whatever he needs to do,” manager Terry Francona said before Sunday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. “He wants to play today, and then we’ll go from there.”
Some teammates were not aware of De La Cruz’s loss as of an hour or two before the game.
De La Cruz, who did not address media pregame, singled to right on an 0-2 pitch in his first at-bat with two out in the first, after taking his one allowed timeout for the at-bat before the first pitch to him.
In the sixth inning, he lined a two-run home run to right field and gestured to his heart and then the sky as he crossed the plate.
It was not immediately clear whether De La Cruz, who is from a tight-knit family and has worn a pendant with a photo of his parents on a chain during his career, will take bereavement leave at some point in the coming days.