The Cincinnati Reds called up the organization's top prospect, Elly De La Cruz on Tuesday afternoon.
At long last, Reds Country will get to see De La Cruz on a major league field. In order to make room on the active roster, Nick Senzel was placed on the 10-day Injured List with a knee issue.
De La Cruz will not be alone when it comes to rookies playing alongside him. De La Cruz becomes the eighth Reds prospect to debut in 2023.
Elly De La Cruz is the 8th Reds prospect to make his major league debut in 2023.
Former Minnesota Twins farmhand Casey Legumina debuted back in April, making eight appearances out of the Cincinnati Reds bullpen before suffering an injury that landed him on the 15 day IL. Legumina began a rehab assignment with the Louisville Bats today, so his return to the big league roster is imminent.
Levi Stoudt made his major league debut in April as well. The right-hander was met with his "Welcome to the Big Leagues" moment, when the Tampa Bay Rays touch him up for seven runs in just a few innings.
Stoudt was not the only starter to make his big league debut in 2023. Andrew Abbott made his MLB debut yesterday. Abbott dominated over six shutout innings of one-hit baseball and drew comparisons to Hall of Famer Tom Glavine.
Joining Abbott in the starting rotation is Brandon Williamson, who made his major league debut in the unfriendly confines of Coors Field. The lefty has been competitive and kept the Reds in each game that he's started. Cincinnati couldn't ask for much more, as his development continues with each start.
Eduardo Salazar joined the Reds bullpen a few weeks ago. Salazar has an ugly ERA, north of 8.00, but a FIP just above 4.00. Salazar's ERA is more representative of bad luck rather than bad pitching. His sinker has incredible movement and has been his best offering to date.
T.J. Hopkins made his big league debut just last week. It remains to be seen what Hopkins' longterm future is with the club, but the former ninth-round pick had been tearing it up down at Triple-A Louisville.
Finally, the Reds began their push towards the future when they called up Matt McLain last month. The 23-year-old already has 27 hits, nine of which have gone for extra base hits in just over 80 plate appearances. McLain won the NL Player of the Week Award in just his second week in the majors, and has All-Star potential written all over him.
Elly De La Cruz is joining a very promising bunch of young talent, and there's plenty more chomping at the bit down on the farm, readying for their chance to prove themselves in The Show.