CINCINNATI — A day most Cincinnati Reds fans have been waiting for has finally arrived.

Infielder Elly De La Cruz, the top prospect in the organization and widely viewed as one of the top prospects in all of baseball, was officially called-up to the big league squad from AAA Louisville Tuesday, according to a team announcement on social media.

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De La Cruz worked quickly through the Reds minor league system and played most of the 2022 season for the Dayton Dragons. De La Cruz had been playing in the highest level of the Reds farm system this year with a .298 batting average, including 12 home runs, 36 RBI, and an on base + slugging percentage of 1.031 in just 38 games, according to baseball-reference.com.

While in Dayton last season, De La Cruz hit for an impressive .303 average with 20 homers and 52 RBI, in 74 games. Also a threat on the basepath, De La Cruz nabbed 28 stolen bases in Dayton and had 11 in Louisville before his call-up.

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De La Cruz’s call-up was made possible after utility player Nick Senzel was placed on the 10-day injured list for a knee injury.

The Reds sit at 27-33 which is good for third in the National League Central division. Cincinnati opens a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m.

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