MILWAUKEE — Cincinnati Reds rookie Ellie De La Cruz has been a huge star on the field and now in action.
De La Cruz appears alongside football star Alex Morgan and NFL standout Odell Beckham Jr. in a new ad for the Tom Cruise-starrer “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.” All three athletes show off their speed in homage to Cruise’s signature sprint in the feature-length franchise.
De La Cruz, a 21-year-old third baseman, filmed a segment of the commercial two weeks ago in which he swings the bat and runs.
He took questions from reporters Friday night before the leaders of the National League Central faced second-ranked Milwaukee in the first game of a three-game series leading up to the All-Star break. The teams will meet again immediately after the break with a three-game series in Cincinnati.
Asked if he had acted before, de la Cruz laughed and replied, “Only for me, yes, if I was an actor.”
De La Cruz has a .325 batting average with four home runs, 14 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 25 runs scored in 27 games.
The Reds were 27-33 on June 6 when De La Cruz was promoted from Triple-A Chattanooga. The team moved into first place at 22-6 and has a two-game lead over Milwaukee heading into the weekend series. He has started 27 out of 28 games since his debut.
De La Cruz talked about why he wears the number 44 made famous by Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.
“It’s an honor to have that number like so many greats have worn in the past,” De La Cruz said. “It’s an honor.”
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