Reds' Elly De La Cruz: Pinch hit for Thursday
De La Cruz started at shortstop and walked twice before being removed for a pinch hitter in Thursday's 8-2 loss to the Tigers.
It's the first time since De La Cruz debuted in June that he was removed for a pinch hitter. A second-half downturn and a manager seeking any tactical edge in a playoff hunt has impacted the rookie's usage. He batted seventh against a left-hander Tuesday, was not in the starting lineup Wednesday, then batted eighth against a right-hander Thursday. Despite dropping De La Cruz in the order, Bell said he still has confidence in him, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. "Elly's going to continue to be a big part of our team, obviously," Bell said. "But where we are right now, every little tiny edge [is important]." Until this week, De La Cruz had been exempt from such tactics, but a .181 batting average and .606 OPS since the All-Star break has changed that.
