Reds' roster getting healthier, Elly De La Cruz returning Tuesday versus Brewers

In the midst of a 10-game stretch against NL Central rivals, the Cincinnati Reds are preparing to welcome back front-line reinforcements.

Beginning with shortstop Elly De La Cruz returning Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park, the Reds appear to be adding roster depth for an important segment of their schedule. The first-place Brewers (47-29) earned a 2-1 victory over the last-place Reds (37-40) on Monday.

Sidelined since June 1 with a strained right hamstring, De La Cruz engaged in a batting session against injured closer Emilio Pagan before Monday's series opener. Pagan (hamstring) also appears close to coming off the injured list.

Reds' Elly De La Cruz, others returning to health 

Following a fifth-inning base hit against the Atlanta Braves on May 31, De La Cruz pulled up lame, forcing him out of the MLB lineup for 19 games. The injury ended his consecutive games played streak at 276, the franchise's sixth-longest since 1961. 

De La Cruz participated in three weekend International League games, going 2-for-8 with a home run and two RBIs for Triple-A Louisville. After opening with a homer on Friday, he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and an error Sunday. 

A two-time All-Star, De La Cruz compiled a .280 batting average and a 2.1 bWAR before tweaking his hamstring. 

Along with De La Cruz, who lined to right field during his first at-bat, Pagan, 35, faced two other batters Monday, delivering 25 pitches. 

"I'm attacking anybody who's in the box, to be honest," Pagan said, as reported by MLB.com. "But obviously, Elly is one of the best players on the planet and facing him is an honor. There's a lot of people that play baseball that would like to have the opportunity I just had. I don't take that lightly."

On Monday, the Reds activated reliever Pierce Johnson (elbow) from the IL, optioning Zach Maxwell to Louisville.

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