Elly De La Cruz News: Not playing in WBC

The Reds did not give De La Cruz permission to play in the World Baseball Classic, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

De La Cruz wanted to represent the Dominican Republic, but Cincy has lingering concerns about a quad injury that appeared to limit him over the second half of the 2025 season. The shortstop, who still played all 162 regular-season games, experienced a second-half dip last year after a strong first half. Reds manager Terry Francona acknowledged the need to find ways to keep De La Cruz fresh in 2026, and the trade of Gavin Lux will allow starters to rotate through DH and get breaks from playing the field, per Rosencrans.