Elly De La Cruz is out of Reds' lineup and fans are freaking out

Elly De La Cruz is not in the Cincinnati Reds starting lineup for the series finale against the Colorado Rockies. But relax, Reds fans, he's not hurt. According to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, this was a planned "day off" for the Reds' shortstop.

Instead of De La Cruz, Reds manager David Bell will deploy left fielder Spencer Steer as the No. 2 hitter behind Jonathan India for Thursday's day game at Great American Ball Park.

While some fans want to see the Reds' everyday players suit up, well, every day, that's not a very realistic approach in today's game. Player health (including scheduled days of rest) is a big part of the way teams prepare for the season. The days of Cal Ripken Jr. are over.

Elly De La Cruz is out of Reds' lineup and fans are freaking out

Strangely, or perhaps not so much, the Reds chose to go with Santiago Espinal at shortstop instead of Noelvi Marte. This will be Espinal's third game at shortstop and his second start. Marte, meanwhile, will be back at third base following two days as the Reds' designated hitter to begin the series against Colorado.

Marte's defense has been called into question after the rookie committed five errors at third base during his first 10 games back following an 80-game suspension for PED use. Marte looked more comfortable in the field and at the dish during Wednesday night's loss that saw the infielder go 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

Seeing as how De La Cruz, unlike the rest of the Reds roster, will not be getting much rest during the upcoming All-Star festivities, this doesn't come as much of a shock. Allowing the superstar infielder to get some added rest after a prolonged rain delay on Monday and a get-away day for the opposition this afternoon isn't overly surprising.

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