1 significant problem exists if the Reds call up Elly De La Cruz this Friday

Elly De La Cruz has dominated the competition down at Triple-A Louisville this season. Currently, the Cincinnati Reds top prospect is hitting .303/.401/.648 with 11 home runs, 33 RBIs, and a wRC+ of 156 according to FanGraphs.

The Reds begin a seven-game homestand this Friday that starts with a four-game visit from the NL Central Division-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Then, the Reds play host to the Los Angeles Dodgers for three games next week.

It feels like De La Cruz could make his major league debut any day now. In fact, Friday's game against the Brew Crew while donning their new City Connect uniforms seems like the perfect date to call up the team's top prospect, doesn't it?

1 significant problem exists if the Reds call up Elly De La Cruz this Friday.

But if the Cincinnati Reds do decide to pull the trigger and call up their top prospect this Friday, they'd better be prepared for some pushback. No, it has nothing to do with where Elly De La Cruz will hit in the lineup, what position he'll play defensively, or even who he'll replace on the roster.

Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers will be shown on AppleTV+. The streaming service is the exclusive home of "Friday Night Baseball", and unlike last season, the games aren't free.

Furthermore, instead of taking place at 6:40 PM ET, the game will be played at 5:10 PM ET. That's not ideal for those fans fighting the evening commute on the way home from work on Friday afternoon, or those who want to show up at Great American Ball Park and see the game in person.

AppleTV+ does offer free trial memberships. So, if you don't have AppleTV+, there are avenues that exist to avoid paying for another streaming service just to watch Friday's game.

There's no guarantee that the Cincinnati Reds will even recall Elly De La Cruz before Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers, but Louisville Slugger Field won't be able to contain him for much longer.