Cincinnati Reds’ youth movement is one of the main reasons why the team is sitting at the top of NL Central and on track to return to the postseason after two years of absence. One of the driving forces of that movement is rookie infielder Elly De La Cruz, who once again put on a show in Wednesday night’s 2-9 win over the Washington Nationals.
De La Cruz’s best moment came in the top of the fifth when the 21-year-old player launched a 455-feet homer to give Cincinnati a 5-1 lead. Before making his run, De La Cruz first pointed out the plastic cover at the end of his bat, referencing an earlier request for a bat check by the Nationals.
Washington’s manager Dave Martinez asked the umpires to check the plastic sensor on De La Cruz’s bat in the second inning. The umpires asked the player to remove it until they checked its legality. After receiving confirmation that the plastic cap was legal, De La Cruz was allowed to put it back on in the third.
“Just to tell everybody that the knob is not the reason why I am doing a good job,” De La Cruz explained his gesture after the home run. “It’s because of all the work I’m putting out there.”
According to De La Cruz, the Reds used the plastic cover during spring training, and he grew accustomed to it. So, when he got his MLB break, he decided to keep using it.
Elly De La Cruz made his debut for the Reds in June and has since become a revelation for the team. De La Cruz is hitting .318 across 26 games and has four home runs to go with 14 RBIs.
