Reds manager Terry Francona ‘owns up’ to Elly De La Cruz workload
Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona plans to get workhorse shortstop Elly De La Cruz days off during next season after playing every game in 2025.
ORLANDO – The Cincinnati Reds’ efforts to get workhorse shortstop Elly De La Cruz at least a few games off next year just got more important – and not just because he’ll continue to bear a disproportionate responsibility for Reds run production after missing out on free agent Kyle Schwarber.
Albert Pujols, the former superstar slugger and current manager for the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team, said he talked to De La Cruz this week and expects the Reds’ All-Star to play for him in the WBC in March.
That potentially means a bigger workload before the regular season even starts for De La Cruz, one of only six players in the majors in 2025 to play 162 games – the only shortstop to do it.
One day after Reds manager Terry Francona vowed to “get (De La Cruz) off his feet more” on the first day of MLB’s winter meetings this week, Pujols said he talked to De La Cruz the same night Francona spoke and that De La Cruz is “definitely” on board with participating in the WBC.
The roster hasn’t been finalized, and De La Cruz hasn’t made his intentions public. No MLB team approval is needed for a player to participate unless he has an injury, Reds officials said.
De La Cruz, who also dealt with a quad strain much of the second half of last season, seemed to fatigue down the stretch for the Reds as they battled to the final day to reach the playoffs. He hit just .221 after July, with more strikeouts (65) than hits and walks combined (63). He didn’t hit a home run from Aug. 1 through Sept. 18, which is his longest career drought.
“There was a lot of things going on,” Francona said. “I think we need to take responsibility – and I have, and I will. I need to find ways to get him off his feet from time to time, and I didn’t do a very good job of that, and I own up to that.”
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Francona said he doesn’t have specific schedule for off days he’ll try to apply.
“I don’t think there’s a number,” he said. “But I also think if you wait to a certain point like I did last year – if you wait too long – I’m not sure a day’s really going to do a whole lot of good in September. I think you need to be proactive.
“I just need to explain it to him better to make him understand.”
Francona said having given De La Cruz the chance to play every day and learn how it impacts him might help with that message – in theory, ahead of time.
“When the season starts, no,” he said. “That’s how he is. It’s a really a nice trait. He’s not being penalized. We love him to death. We want him to be as productive as he can be.”
De La Cruz got chapped at both managers he’s had in the big leagues at the mere suggestion of a day off.
“I lover the fact that he wants to play, and he’s one of the rare guys where he can bring energy every day, which is really amazing,” Francona said. “But saying that, he gets beat up so much. Sometimes the day game (off) after a night game might be really helpful for him.”