ORLANDO — Playing all 162 games was important to All-Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz in 2025, but him playing fewer in 2026 may be more important to the Cincinnati Reds.
Reds manager Terry Francona said on Monday at MLB’s Winter Meetings that he needs to do a better job of giving De La Cruz days off to help keep him fresh.
“There were a lot of things going on,” Francona said, referring to Cruz’s recently revealed quad injury, as well as the death of his older sister. “I think I need to take responsibility — and I have and I will — I need to find ways to get him off of his feet from time-to-time. I didn’t do a very good job of that and I own up to that.”
De La Cruz not only played in 162 games last season, he started in 161 of them.
That level of play significantly hampered De La Cruz’s prediction as the season went on. The 23-year-old hit .284/.359/.495 with 18 home runs and 25 stolen bases in the 97 games before the All-Star break. He traveled to Atlanta where he played in the Midsummer Classic, then played in the season’s final 65 games, posting a .236/.303/.363 line, with just four home runs and 12 stolen bases.
The Reds still believe he is best suited at shortstop, but finding pockets to rest him will be crucial. A healthy Matt McLain could help. The two split time at shortstop as rookies in 2023, but, after McLain missed all of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury, De La Cruz took over full-time.
“I love the fact that he wants to play,” Francona said. “He’s one of the rare guys that can bring energy every day, which is pretty amazing. But saying that, he gets beat up so much. Sometimes that day game after a night game might be really helpful for him.”
The one game De La Cruz didn’t start, June 6 at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks, was because his flight back from the Dominican Republic for his sister’s funeral was delayed. At the time, De La Cruz told Francona it was important to him that he start that day, but he was ultimately unable to make it.
The game was suspended after a heavy downpour, and De La Cruz did play in the next day resumption.