Ke’Bryan Hayes is starting to look like a player who might be finding something at the plate while he works his way back from a bulging disc in his back.
The Reds third baseman turned in a loud second rehab game with Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday, going 4-for-5 with a double, a homer and three runs scored in a 12-8 win over Omaha at Louisville Slugger Field. It was a sharp follow-up to his first rehab outing with Louisville on Tuesday, when he went 1-for-4 with a double, and to the two games he played with High A Dayton last week, where he went 1-for-6.
Hayes had been struggling badly before landing on the injured list in late May, carrying a .142/.195/.225 slash line over 128 plate appearances this season. That’s why the Reds are using this rehab stint for more than just a medical reset - it’s also a chance to work on his swing.
While Hayes was at the club’s Spring Training facility in Goodyear, Ariz., before heading out on his Minor League rehab assignment, he got input from hitting coach Chris Valaika and the staff on adjustments that could help jump-start him offensively.
“Val and the hitting guys tried to really stay abreast of him all the way, and I got videos of him hitting and I know they’ve been talking,” Francona said. “They’ve done assessments. They’ve stayed on it pretty good.”
Even with the encouraging results in Louisville, Hayes is likely to need more rehab games before the Reds bring him back. Manager Terry Francona said when the assignment began last week that there is no “set number” of games the team has in mind.
The 29-year-old has dealt with back problems throughout his Major League career, missing time in each season from 2022-24. He’s been one of the game’s best defensive third basemen, winning Gold Glove Awards in ’23 and ’25, but the offense has lagged behind. Hayes owns a career .662 OPS, and he posted a .596 OPS in 152 games last season.
His best offensive year came in 2023, when he hit .271/.309/.453 with 15 homers in 525 plate appearances for the Pirates. The Reds are hoping the changes he’s working on now can help him get back to that level once he returns.
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