Reds move up Elly De La Cruz, Sal Stewart in lineup shuffle

TL;DR

The Cincinnati Reds have shuffled their lineup, moving Elly De La Cruz to the second spot and Sal Stewart to third ahead of their game against the Washington Nationals. This change comes after struggling with production from the leadoff position.

Key points

Cincinnati Reds have the worst leadoff production in MLB
Elly De La Cruz moved to second in the lineup
Sal Stewart now bats third against the Nationals
Will Benson continues to lead off
Nick Lodolo is the starting pitcher for the Reds

Cincinnati RedsWashington Nationals

CINCINNATI, OHIO - MAY 10: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a single in the fourth inning against the Houston Astros at Great American Ball Park on May 10, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images Owners of the worst production from the leadoff spot in all of Major League Baseball, the Cincinnati Reds have finally, mercifully seen enough of the way their old lineup produced. Ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Washington Nationals, manager Terry Francona bumped up the stars of his lineup a slot and began to stack the top of his lineup full of the best bats he can find. No longer is TJ Friedl hitting leadoff with Matt McLain slumping in the #2 spot – instead, Elly De La Cruz will hit 2nd with Sal Stewart 3rd, JJ Bleday 4th, and Spencer Steer 5th tonight as the Reds face Washington starter Kyle Leahy, a righty. will lead off again against the RHP, and it remains to be seen how Francona will adjust the top of the lineup on days when the Reds face a southpaw. Notably absent from this lineup today is , who was a flashpoint during yesterday’s game for a) not being pinch-hit for in the 4th inning with the bases loaded (and grounding into a double-play) and later b) *being* pinch-hit for in a bases-loaded spot after the game had already gotten out of hand. is also back in the lineup tonight at DH one day after questionably being on the pine against a RHP (and against his former club). Here’s the lineup for the start of the second game of this series, one that will feature on the mound for the Reds for his second start of the season: First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET in GABP.

Q&A

Why did the Cincinnati Reds change their lineup?

The Reds changed their lineup to improve their poor production from the leadoff spot in Major League Baseball.

What is the new batting order for the Reds against the Nationals?

The new batting order features Will Benson leading off, followed by Elly De La Cruz second, Sal Stewart third, JJ Bleday fourth, and Spencer Steer fifth.

Who is pitching for the Reds in their game against the Nationals?

Nick Lodolo is set to pitch for the Reds in their game against the Washington Nationals.