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Elly De La Cruz Scoops Up Injured Bird and Homers in Reds’ Win

The dugout DH’s unscripted rescue paused play and drew applause while highlighting how players and officials handle animal interruptions on the field.

Overview

  • Elly De La Cruz, who intervened Sunday during the fourth inning at Great American Ball Park, left the dugout and scooped a bird that had landed on the infield near Brewers batter Jackson Chourio.
  • Before De La Cruz acted, pitcher Brady Singer, umpire Chris Guccione and a Reds bat boy surrounded the bird, and the bat boy briefly tried to shoo it with his helmet.
  • Play resumed after the rescue and the crowd reacted with laughter and applause as De La Cruz returned to the dugout.
  • MLB.com reported that De La Cruz later hit a two‑run home run in the fourth inning that gave Cincinnati a 6‑3 lead, and some outlets credited him with driving in four runs in the Reds’ victory.
  • There is no confirmed update on the bird’s condition, and coverage noted minor safety and hygiene concerns from handling on-field animals while casting the episode as a light, widely shared human-interest moment.