When Elly De La Cruz went down to injury at the end of May, Reds fans saw a team that was already on the brink. They were 30-29 and without their best player, with an extremely difficult June schedule on the horizon. It was a make or break month where the team was going to have to dig deep to find a way to win games and stay in contention for relevance in a ridiculously difficult National League Central Division.
Since De La Cruz’s injury, Cincinnati’s offense has struggled to a wRC+ of 89 and a .217 average, both near the bottom of baseball. Their more reliable hitters have been Matt McLain, Noevli Marte, and to a lesser extent Dane Myers. McLain has a 160 wRC+ in June, while hitting .256. Though he was only recently called up, and is still working it out defensively, Marte is slugging .588 while hitting .265 with a wRC+ of 138.
But the players the Reds needed to step up to atop the bleeding in June have been so quiet you can hear a pin drop. Though he had an epic 6-RBI day this past week, Eugenio Suárez had managed to hit just .185 since Elly’s injury, with a miserable 56 wRC+. He will never hit for a high average but he was the high impact signing for Nick Krall and the Reds this offseason and he’s expected to help carry the team in times like these, and unfortunately it’s not happening.
One of the most frustrating declines to watch has been Spencer Steer. He had been one of the Reds most consistent hitters, but June has not been kind to him so far. He’s hitting just .130 and getting on base at a .268 clip, numbers well below his season averages. Although he still is providing power, four of his six hits in June have been home runs.
And while he is just a rookie and it’s extremely hard to judge him, Edwin Arroyo is struggling to adjust to the major league game. With just a line of .205 AVG, .273 OBP, .231 SLG% since the beginning of this month, he is doing all he can, but the results just aren’t there as of yet.
The Reds’ pitching staff has been a net positive since June 1 with a WAR of around 1.3, but have been plagued by walks, and have an overall ERA of 4.5 in that span. Chase Burns has been stellar, of course, with a 2.20 ERA and a 12.7 k/9 ratio. Even Brady Singer has leveled out in June with a 2.40 ERA as he’s found a way to keep the Reds in games when he’s taken the mound.
But it’s been a brutal run for the likes of Sam Moll, Zach Maxwell, and Nick Lodolo. Moll’s ERA is an astronomical 7.71 in June while Lodolo and Maxwell’s are just as bad.
The bottom line is that good teams find a way to overcome injuries and either muscle through or at least stay afloat until they get healthy. Unfortunately, too many Reds players are coming up well short of expectations with Elly out. And the outlook isn’t getting any rosier.
With series against the Yankees, Brewers, and Pirates still to go in June, the month still has the potential to sink any realistic chances Cincinnati may have to stay relevant through the All Star break. Many fans see this season slipping away and as it stands now, there just aren’t enough good players to stop the slide.
While reports are optimistic that after his rehabilitation stint starting this weekend, that he could make his return as early as June 23 if all goes well. In addition, Hunter Greene will start a rehab assignment in Arizona on June 18, continuing to aim for a July return. The real question is whether the players on this team, at this moment, can play above their potential until those stars return, to potentially save the 2026 season.
