Reds' Terry Francona Sends 3-Word Elly De La Cruz Message After Yankees Game

Reds’ Terry Francona Sends 3-Word Elly De La Cruz Message After Yankees Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz is currently playing in his third major league season with the team after he debuted during the 2022 season, and made an impact immediately becoming the first player in MLB history to record 100 stolen bases and 30 home runs in his first two MLB seasons..

De La Cruz enjoyed a breakout campaign last year, making his first All-Star team and finishing eighth in NL MVP voting on the strength of his blend of power and speed energizing the team.

The Reds as a whole missed the playoffs, finishing 77–85, and new manager Terry Francona—hired in the 2024 offseason—has made one thing clear: winning and a return to October baseball are the organization’s top priorities.

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz (44)© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

On Tuesday against the New York Yankees in the bottom half of the eleventh inning, De La Cruz misread the scoreboard assuming the Reds had already scored the game’s winning run and failed to advance to third base on a single to left-center field.

After the game, Francona told the 23-year-old shortstop he was better than that, and De La Cruz apologized and reassured him the mistake wouldn’t happen again.

“I believe him,” Francona said, praising the shortstop’s accountability and his willingness to learn.

Despite the mistake, De La Cruz has put together another strong season. In 80 games he’s hit .274 with an .860 OPS, clubbing 18 home runs, driving in 55 runs and stealing 21 bases.

His dynamic performance has him sitting third among NL shortstops in All-Star voting, and Francona is counting on him to remain a key part of Cincinnati’s success moving forward.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.

Reds’ Terry Francona Sends 3-Word Elly De La Cruz Message After Yankees Game

Tags: