ANAHEIM, California – Before the opener of the Cincinnati Reds’ three-game series this week against the Angels, a Southern California writer asked Reds manager Terry Francona how much he appreciated Elly De La Cruz playing through the “little quad” issue he’s been dealing with much of the summer.

“I’m not sure I’d say ‘little,’ “ Francona said. “I mean, that thing was pretty (not little). He’s done a really good job.”

Advertisement

Over the weekend Francona suggested the worst of the issue was behind De La Cruz.

And then in the second game of the Angels series, the two-time All-Star shortstop flashed the kind of ground speed that backed up his manager – scoring twice from first on balls that barely reached the outfield.

“He’s the only guy in baseball that scores on those,” Francona said.

Asked if those 270-foot sprints that had been missing from his arsenal for more than a month were a sign the left quad injury is behind him, De La Cruz said, “We’re getting better.”

So it’s not quite 100%, he was asked.

“We’re getting better,” he repeated.

Advertisement

Whatever his level of quadriceps health, those two runs Tuesday night represented the winning margin in a 6-4 victory that lifted the Reds to a season-high seven games over .500 (67-60) and kept them just one game back of the New York Mets for the final playoff position in the National League.

“He’s had to manage that quad for a while, and I think he’s managed it really well,” Francona said over the weekend. “I think he’s coming through the other side of that to where his speed is up. It’s not quite where it would be, but he’s on this (improving) trajectory.”

Whether it’s impacted his power, De La Cruz – who leads the Reds with 19 home runs − has hit only one since June 23.

He also leads the Reds with 31 stolen bases, but that’s far off the pace of his league-leading 67 total last season, and he has just six attempts since the All-Star break (6-for-6).

Advertisement

But he’s still getting hits and getting on base, including a .263 average and .333 on-base percentage in his last nine games. The Reds are 6-3 in those games.

“It’s about everything,” he said. “We’ve got to find a way to win. Every day. Every day we play together and we find a way.”

De La Cruz hasn’t missed a game this season and is emphatic about wanting to stay in the lineup.

Which didn’t surprise the Reds’ first-year manager.

“That reputation preceded me coming here,” Francona said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds’ Elly De La Cruz still not 100% but flashes speed again