Reds could answer Elly De La Cruz injury with surprise roster move fans didn't see coming

The Cincinnati Reds could be without their star shortstop Elly De La Cruz for quite some time. He was removed from Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves after pulling up lame while running to first base during the bottom of the fifth inning. De La Cruz was initially diagnosed with hamstring tightness, but he'll receive an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury.

If De La Cruz's injury forces him onto the IL, the obvious solution would be for the Reds to call up the organization's top infield prospect, Edwin Arroyo. Though adding Arroyo to the active roster seems like the most logical course of action, the Reds could go outside the box and instead recall Noelvi Marte back to the big leagues.

Marte got off to a slow start with the Reds to begin the year. Cincinnati was hoping to see their budding young outfielder build off his 2025 success, but instead, Marte hit just .138/.194/.138 with 10 strikeouts through his first 29 at-bats. The Reds sent Marte back to Triple-A in early-April in hopes of seeing his true offensive potential return.

Since being optioned to Triple-A, Marte has been hitting the cover off the ball. He owns a remarkable .331/.381/.512 slash line with eight home runs, 26 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. He's also found success against right-handed pitching — something he struggled with prior to being sent down.

In addition to the improvements at the plate, Marte's also received increased playing time in center field. The 24-year-old was Cincinnati's Opening Day right fielder to begin the year, but manager Terry Francona and GM Brad Meador both believe that he has the athleticism to stick in center field.

Reds could recall Noelvi Marte & deploy Matt McLain at shortstop

Obviously recalling Marte instead of Arroyo would mean that Matt McLain would become Cincinnati's everyday shortstop. Though he's spent most of his Major League career playing second base, shortstop is not foreign to the 26-year-old. He's subbed for De La Cruz twice already this season, and has 58 Major League starts at the position. McLain also played shortstop in the minor leagues and in college.

If McLain shifts to shortstop, that would mean more starts at second base for Spencer Steer. Coming into the 2026 campaign, Steer took on a Swiss Army knife-type of role, and has seen time at six different positions already this season. He's been McLain's primary backup of late, and has started five games at the keystone. Rookie infielder Sal Stewart can also play second base.

While Marte is certainly worthy of a call-up, leaving Arroyo in the minor leagues and installing McLain as the team's everyday shortstop leaves Cincinnati without a capable backup. Steer has three Major League innings at shortstop, but he's hardly capable of manning the position with regularity.

Furthermore, given McLain's offensive struggles, it would seem somewhat foolish to write his name onto the lineup card every day. In 56 games this season, he's hitting just .196/.294/.320 with a 73 wRC+.

The more prudent move might be to promote both Marte and Arroyo. Cincinnati will need some additional firepower if De La Cruz is out of the lineup, and one of TJ Frield or Will Benson could be optioned to the minor leagues in order to make room on the active roster.

While there's a chance that De La Cruz could avoid the IL, hamstring injuries typically take some time to heal. The Reds' All-Star believes he avoided a worst-case scenario, but he's likely headed to the injured list for the first time in his career.

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