Reds star Elly De La Cruz leaves game vs. Braves early with hamstring injury

Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz left their matchup with the Atlanta Braves early on Sunday with an apparent hamstring injury.

De La Cruz hit a deep shot that reached the wall at the Great American Ball Park in the fifth inning of the contest on Sunday. But as he started approaching first base, he awkwardly pulled up and was noticeably in some pain. Instead of pushing it for a double, De La Cruz walked back slowly to first and was clearly shaken up.

The Reds quickly pulled him from the game there. They ruled him out the rest of the way with right hamstring tightness. Further specifics of the injury are not yet known. Matt McLain came in to replace De La Cruz the rest of the way.

De La Cruz entered Sunday holding a .274 batting average with 12 home runs and 37 RBIs this season, his fourth in the league.

He had two hits on Sunday and scored twice, once in the first inning after JJ Bleday hit him in with a double. Bleday hit another double to bring De La Cruz in again in the third inning, too, which put the Reds up 2-1 at the time. 

The Reds carried a 29-28 record into Sunday’s contest, which has them in last in the NL Central race. They’ve lost three straight, too, including the first two of the three-game series with the Braves. 

This post will be updated with more information shortly.