Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz shines on the field and in ad for new 'Mission: Impossible' movie

MILWAUKEE — Cincinnati Reds rookie Elly De La Cruz has been a breakout star on the field, and now he’s tackling acting.

De La Cruz appears alongside soccer star Alex Morgan and NFL standout Odell Beckham Jr. in a new advertisement for the upcoming movie “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” starring Tom Cruise. The three athletes show off their speed in homage to Cruise's signature sprint in the long-running action franchise.

De La Cruz, a 21-year-old third baseman, filmed his portion of the ad — in which he swings a bat and runs — about two weeks ago.

He fielded questions from reporters on Friday night before the NL Central-leading Reds took on second-place Milwaukee in the opener of a three-game series before the All-Star break. The teams will meet again immediately after the break, with a three-game set in Cincinnati.

Asked if he had acted before, De La Cruz laughed and responded, “Just by myself, yeah, I’ve been an actor.”

De La Cruz is batting .325 in 27 games with four homers, 14 RBIs, 12 stolen bases and 25 runs scored.

The Reds were 27-33 when De La Cruz was promoted from Triple-A Chattanooga on June 6. Since then, the club has rocketed into first place, going 22-6 and carrying a two-game lead over Milwaukee into this weekend’s series. He has started 27 of the Reds’ 28 games since his debut.

De La Cruz touched on why he wears No. 44 — made famous by Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.

“It’s just an honor to have that number and to wear this same number that a lot of legends in this game have worn in the past,” De La Cruz said. “It’s just an honor.”