Cincinnati Reds team president Nick Krall raised enough eyebrows around town during this week’s Hot Stove League radio show on 700 WLW-AM with his description of Elly De La Cruz’s quad injury that he later clarified it.
During the Nov. 19 show he called De La Cruz’s quad strain that the shortstop played through the second half of the season a partially torn quad – a medical synonym for the strain.
“I said partial tear on the radio, meaning strain,” Krall said when asked about it after the show. “It was more nagging than serious.”
That’s what was reported during the season as De La Cruz continued to play through the Reds’ run to the playoffs. He played in all 162 games this season, with fewer steal attempts than 2024 and a lengthy power drought down the stretch.
De La Cruz was adamant with the training staff and other team officials that he could manage the issue well enough to stay in the lineup, and his value to the Reds was great enough to allow him to try.
De La Cruz played through the injury the final two months of the season, Krall said.
No surgery or any other treatment beyond rehab was required during or after the season.
De La Cruz is expected to have a normal offseason and be full-go for spring training.