Elly De La Cruz has electrified baseball audiences this season in ways few could have ever imagined. What he hasn’t done, however, is hit left-handed pitching with any aplomb.
Through 105 PA against southpaws in this, his rookie season, he’s the owner of a putrid 36 wRC+ that’s topped by his 41.9% K-rate against them. With veteran lefty Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound for the Detroit Tigers tonight, that was enough for Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell to sit Elly, even though his middle infield partner in crime Matt McLain remains sidelined as a potential shortstop option.
Enter Noelvi Marte, who’ll get a start at short tonight despite having not played a single inning at the position since his promotion to AAA Louisville earlier this summer.