Reds news: Noelvi Marte draws start at shortstop over struggling Elly De La Cruz

I don't know if this is a sign of things to come, or just David Bell trying to put his best nine guys on the field at the same time.

Whatever it is, Elly De La Cruz is out of the Cincinnati Reds starting lineup today versus the Minnesota Twins. In his place will be fellow rookie infielder Noelvi Marte.

Marte had been playing third base for the majority of his starts since arriving in the big leagues, but the 21-year-old came up through the minor leagues as a shortstop.

Reds news: Noelvi Marte draws start at shortstop over struggling Elly De La Cruz

Noelvi Marte will make his third career-start at shortstop for today's game against the Minnesota Twins. Marte was out of the starting lineup last night, and the Cincinnati Reds lost by a final of 7-0 and fell one game back in the chase for the final NL Wild Card spot.

Reds manager David Bell said earlier in the week that he was going to treat the final few games of the 2023 season like the team was in the playoffs. He's certainly sticking to his word by placing Elly De La Cruz on the bench.

Let's face it, De La Cruz has been horrific at the plate and in the field since the All-Star break. The rookie leads the league in strikeouts during that time and has committed too many costly errors since the calendar flipped to August.

During last night's game, De La Cruz mishandled an attempt to throw out a runner at second base, and that player eventually came around to score. With the margin for error being so small at this point in the season, De La Cruz's struggles have forced Bell's hand.

Now, will this be a permanent switch over the final nine games? That seems doubtful given the way the Cincinnati Reds organization feels about Elly De La Cruz's future. However, at the moment, De La Cruz has given Bell no other alternative. His playing time may take an even bigger hit if Matt McLain returns from the IL next week.