Elly De La Cruz returned to the Cincinnati Reds lineup Tuesday night against Milwaukee, ending a three-week stint on the injured list. The two-time All-Star shortstop strained his right hamstring on May 31, forcing him to miss 22 games during a crucial stretch for the Reds' playoff push.

De La Cruz completed a three-game rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Louisville over the weekend. He homered and played five innings at shortstop Friday, went 0-for-3 as designated hitter Saturday, then finished 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and an error Sunday. The rehab performances showed both promise and rust as he works back into game rhythm.

Before the injury, De La Cruz was batting .280 with an .855 OPS and 12 home runs in 58 games. This marked his first injured list placement in his young major league career, making his return particularly significant for a Reds team that needs his offensive production and defensive prowess at shortstop.

To make room on the roster, Cincinnati optioned outfielder Will Benson to Louisville. De La Cruz's activation immediately strengthens a lineup that has struggled to maintain consistency without its dynamic shortstop anchor.