Elly De La Cruz is pushing through a quad issue, and his speed is re-emerging in a big way for the Reds. In Anaheim, he delivered two ground-scorers from first on balls that barely left the infield, a reminder he’s still the Reds’ most dangerous baserunner when healthy. Manager Terry Francona praised the progress, noting De La Cruz is on the right trajectory even if not fully recovered. Cincinnati rode those sprints to a 6-4 win, extending its lead to seven games over .500 and keeping pace in the NL playoff chase.

Offensively, De La Cruz remains the focal point: 19 homers, 31 steals this season, and a nine-game run home (.263/.333) with hits and on-base chances. He’s played every game, and though his power hasn’t fully returned since June, his wheels are still a legitimate fantasy catalyst. With the Reds briefly knocking on the Mets’ wildcard door, his continued health and sprint-game impact will define lineup optimization down the stretch.