Elly De La Cruz Hitting Eighth Against Tigers
1 year agoCincinnati Reds rookie infielder Elly De La Cruz is starting at shortstop and is hitting eighth in the batting order on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers and right-hander Reese Olson. De La Cruz has burst onto the major-league scene this year and helped the Reds surprisingly compete for a wild-card spot, but he's gone just 7-for-42 (.167) with no homers, one double, two RBI, 15 strikeouts, four stolen bases and five runs scored in 12 games (11 starts) so far in September. The eight-hole is the lowest spot in the batting order he's been featured since joining the Reds. The power/speed combination is extremely enticing and the long-term future is bright for De La Cruz, but he's struggling right now. Overall, he's hitting .235/.298/.408 with 11 homers, 36 RBI, 27 steals and 59 runs scored in 341 at-bats.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com