Why Reds' Elly De La Cruz batted right-handed against a righty despite being a switch-hitter
Elly would usually bat lefty in this situation.
Why Reds' Elly De La Cruz batted right-handed against a righty despite being a switch-hitter originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Elly De La Cruz is a switch-hitter.
But in his final at bat Tuesday night, with a right-handed pitcher on the mound, De La Cruz batted right-handed rather than get the platoon advantage. And for good measure, Elly homered, his second of the night. It made more sense than it sounds.
MORE: Wait, Aaron Judge at third base? Why did Elly De La Cruz bat right-handed against a righty? This wasn't a normal matchup.
Instead, pitching for the Rays was infielder Ben Williamson. With Cincy routing Tampa Bay, the Rays had gone to a position player on the mound. That changes the calculus for a hitter.