Friedl exits Reds' loss early after taking HBP, collision with De La Cruz

CINCINNATI -- Another key player injured during another difficult loss in extra innings? Seems like the Reds brought their troubles from their last road trip home with them while playing the White Sox on Tuesday.

In a 5-1 loss in 10 innings for Cincinnati -- the club's eighth defeat in its last 10 games and fourth in the last five -- center fielder TJ Friedl took a beating from two plays over the third and fourth innings. Friedl was out of the game by the fifth with a sore right wrist. X-rays were negative.

"We’re going to get him an MRI in the morning just to make sure he’s OK," manager Terry Francona said.

In the top of the third inning with a full count against White Sox pitcher Jonathan Cannon, Friedl was hit flush on the left forearm by a 95 mph fastball. After being checked out by the trainer and Francona, Friedl continued despite sporting a large bruise on his arm.

Leading off the top of the fourth inning for Chicago, Miguel Vargas lifted a fly ball to shallow center field. Three players converged for the ball but neither of the Reds' middle infielders -- Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain -- peeled off as Friedl charged forward.

Both Friedl and De La Cruz simultaneously made sliding catch attempts, and the two collided, with the shortstop's knee hitting Friedl and flipping him over. Again the trainer and Francona came out to check on Friedl before he remained in the game.

“It’s tough. I called it about halfway there," Friedl said. "I know there’s no way he heard me. He’s going after it. I should have called it at the last second when I started my dive. I just made a decision to dive a little too late to speak up.

"Our infielders are taught to go get the ball until they’re called off. From where I called it, I’m sure he didn’t hear me. And Elly’s going to go get every ball he can, which is why he is the way that he is. He’s a star because his range is incredible. It’s just one of those freak plays.”

Somehow, Friedl's right wrist was hurt on the play.

“I don’t know exactly what happened. Maybe just the impact with Elly or something," he said. “I know right now it’s just a little stiff from the collision itself. I’ll get the MRI tomorrow, check all the boxes and just go from there.”

Friedl also sustained another wound from that play. By the top of the fifth inning, he was replaced in center field by Will Benson.

“I’ve got a nice cleat mark all the way up my thigh," Friedl noted. "Luckily, [De La Cruz] has got molded cleats and not metal. That helped.”

De La Cruz, an All-Star last season, has been known for ranging far into the outfield to make catch attempts. Sometimes, collisions or scary near-collisions happen with Reds outfielders as a result.

Francona had no complaint about De La Cruz trying to make the play on this particular fly ball.

“Shoot, the only player in baseball who makes that play is Elly. And he damn near did there," Francona said.

With Vargas on second base, next batter Edgar Quero hit an RBI single to right field that scored Vargas and ended Reds starter Andrew Abbott's streak of 13 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

“Obviously in that moment, I’m not worried about the hit or whatever’s going on," said Abbott, who allowed one run and four hits over six innings. "I’m more worried about Teej and Elly, and [I'm] making sure both of them got up and everything was fine. It is unfortunate for a run. But also at the same moment, it’s more important about teammates in that situation.”

The Reds will be hoping Friedl doesn't join his numerous teammates on the injured list. Last week during their 2-5 road trip to Atlanta and Houston -- Tyler Callihan (broken right forearm), Noelvi Marte (left oblique strain) and Hunter Greene (right groin strain) all went on the IL.

De La Cruz eventually picked up his team. Leading off the bottom of the ninth inning with the Reds down, 1-0, he crushed reliever Steven Wilson's 3-2 pitch to right field for the game-tying solo home run. Statcast showed the exit velocity of the long ball -- De La Cruz's team-leading seventh this season -- to be 114.9 mph while traveling a projected 435 feet.

With a shorthanded bullpen, Emilio Pagán was needed for a second inning of work in the top of the 10th. Pagán allowed four runs (three earned) in the 10th, including Vargas' three-run homer that put the game away.