Elly De La Cruz is set to return Tuesday after right hamstring strain

The Cincinnati Reds are preparing to activate Elly De La Cruz from the injured list on Tuesday, according to manager Terry Francona. De La Cruz has been out with a right hamstring strain that landed him on the IL on June 1, and his return is a significant moment for a team that relies on his speed, defense at shortstop, and game-breaking at-bats.

De La Cruz began his rehab work with Triple-A Louisville, and the first step appeared to go well. In his opening rehab game on Friday, he connected for a home run, a notable sign given the nature of the injury and the way hamstring strains can affect acceleration and base running. The Reds will be looking for confirmation not just of his bat, but also of the explosive burst that defines his style.

On the field, De La Cruz logged time at shortstop during the rehab stretch. He played five innings at the position in his first rehab appearance, building in-game reps at the defensive spot he anchors for Cincinnati. After that, his offensive line was less consistent, with a follow-up game in which he went 0-for-3 as the designated hitter on Saturday. On Sunday, he went 0-for-3 again, striking out twice and committing an error, before being pinch-hit for in the eighth inning.

Those mixed results are common in the late stages of a rehab assignment. Even when the player is cleared to swing and run more freely, the timing required at game speed, as well as the quick decision-making that drives his at-bats, often takes time to fully sync back up. The Reds’ immediate priority is that De La Cruz can handle the workload without any setback, because hamstrings are particularly sensitive to changes in intensity.

For the Reds, the roster impact is also straightforward. Activating De La Cruz restores their most dynamic interior presence, both offensively and defensively. Cincinnati has long benefited from having a shortstop who can cover ground quickly, create outs with reflexes, and turn walks and hits into pressure with his legs. Getting him back on the same timeline as the middle stretch of the season gives the team a chance to stabilize its lineup around its centerpiece.

De La Cruz’s return also affects how Cincinnati balances playing time across the infield and how it structures everyday at-bats. With him available, the Reds can return to a familiar defensive alignment and a more predictable offensive pattern, rather than adjusting roles to account for his absence. The exact day-to-day details after Tuesday will depend on how he performed during the rehab window and how the team manages his workload moving forward.

What to watch next is whether Cincinnati feels comfortable with De La Cruz’s full range as a shortstop, particularly the repeated actions that stress a hamstring, such as sprint starts, hard cuts on throws, and aggressive baserunning. The first few games after activation will be the clearest indicators. If there are no setbacks, Tuesday’s activation could quickly shift the tone for the Reds as they look for consistent production from their most electric player.