Elly De La Cruz Played Injured: Tear Revealed and Drop in Performance

Elly De La Cruz Reveals Physical Problems That Affected His Performance in 2025

Santo Domingo – Dominican shortstop Elly De La Cruz, a key figure for the Cincinnati Reds, faced a 2025 season marked by underperformance. The reason, according to Nick Krall, the team’s president of baseball operations, was a quadriceps injury that the player endured for much of the campaign. After a standout 2024 season, where De La Cruz shone with 25 home runs and led MLB with 67 stolen bases, his performance in 2025 showed a decline. His OPS stood at .776 and his defense was also affected, especially in the last months of the calendar.

At the end of July, he was dealing with a partial tear in his quadriceps. He has been rehabilitating all winter. Even so, he played every day and tried to hold on.

Nick Krall, President of Baseball Operations for the Cincinnati Reds

The injury directly impacted his defensive performance. His Outs Above Average (OAA) went from +14 in 2024 to -3 in 2025. Offensively, his lowest slugging percentages were recorded in August (.319) and September (.370). Despite the injury, De La Cruz demonstrated a remarkable commitment by participating in all 162 games of the season.

Recovery and Expectations for 2026

The Cincinnati Reds are confident that De La Cruz will be fully recovered for the 2026 Spring Training. The goal is for the player to regain the level shown before the injury, recovering his impact on the team. One of the unknowns for next season will be the team’s strategy. It will be evaluated whether adjustments will be implemented in the game plan, such as additional rest days or possible positional changes, to ensure the player’s health and performance.