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The Cincinnati Reds acquired third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes at last year's trade deadline at a discounted price from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The reasoning was straightforward. Hayes has never been an above-average hitter in MLB, but he is a lockdown defender who provides value in other ways.
However, this season his bat has become almost unplayable. After posting a .234 batting average, .315 on-base percentage and .656 OPS across 52 games last year for Cincinnati, Hayes has posted a .142 batting average, .195 on-base percentage and .420 OPS this year, making him one of the worst hitters in the league.
Those numbers may not have been entirely his fault, though. Hayes was placed on the injured list with a lingering lumbar bulging disc in his back and has been sidelined for six weeks, recovering and progressing through his rehab.
The hope is that at full health he will be a different player, because even defensively when he was playing he was not at full strength, grading out as a league-average defender across 44 games. That was a clear sign something was wrong, as Hayes is a two-time Gold Glove winner known for his elite defense.
Fortunately, Hayes is now making his first big step forward toward returning to game action at the big-league level. "The Reds today sent IF Ke'Bryan Hayes on a rehab assignment at High-A Dayton," the team wrote on X.
With Hayes on rehab, he will likely need at least a couple of weeks in the minors before making his way back to the big leagues, and even that is not guaranteed. There is always a chance he gets optioned after his rehab assignment if his swing does not improve, so how he performs will be worth watching closely.
Hayes likely will not have a full-time role when he returns regardless. Breakout rookie star Sal Stewart has logged more starts at the hot corner in his absence and has been one of the better hitters on the team. Spencer Steer has taken over at first base and Eugenio Suarez has continued to operate as Cincinnati's designated hitter. There is no rush to slot Hayes back into an everyday role.
Still, the Reds could use him as a late-game defensive replacement, and if his bat improves he could also see time primarily against left-handed pitching in a platoon role. Any reinforcements regardless of role are positive for a Reds team that entered Friday at 40-46, looking to climb out of last place in the National League Central.
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However, this season his bat has become almost unplayable. After posting a .234 batting average, .315 on-base percentage and .656 OPS across 52 games last year for Cincinnati, Hayes has posted a .142 batting average, .195 on-base percentage and .420 OPS this year, making him one of the worst hitters in the league.
Those numbers may not have been entirely his fault, though. Hayes was placed on the injured list with a lingering lumbar bulging disc in his back and has been sidelined for six weeks, recovering and progressing through his rehab.
The hope is that at full health he will be a different player, because even defensively when he was playing he was not at full strength, grading out as a league-average defender across 44 games. That was a clear sign something was wrong, as Hayes is a two-time Gold Glove winner known for his elite defense.
Fortunately, Hayes is now making his first big step forward toward returning to game action at the big-league level. "The Reds today sent IF Ke'Bryan Hayes on a rehab assignment at High-A Dayton," the team wrote on X.
With Hayes on rehab, he will likely need at least a couple of weeks in the minors before making his way back to the big leagues, and even that is not guaranteed. There is always a chance he gets optioned after his rehab assignment if his swing does not improve, so how he performs will be worth watching closely.
Hayes likely will not have a full-time role when he returns regardless. Breakout rookie star Sal Stewart has logged more starts at the hot corner in his absence and has been one of the better hitters on the team. Spencer Steer has taken over at first base and Eugenio Suarez has continued to operate as Cincinnati's designated hitter. There is no rush to slot Hayes back into an everyday role.
Still, the Reds could use him as a late-game defensive replacement, and if his bat improves he could also see time primarily against left-handed pitching in a platoon role. Any reinforcements regardless of role are positive for a Reds team that entered Friday at 40-46, looking to climb out of last place in the National League Central.
Continue reading...
