As Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes continues to work his way back after being sidelined with a bulging disc in his back, he’s also using the opportunity to tune up his swing -- prior to going on the injured list in late May, he had a .142/.195/.225 slash line over 128 plate appearances this season.
Judging by how he's performed over his last two games with Triple-A Louisville, the tweaks Hayes has been making with the help of his hitting coach might pay dividends once he’s back in the big leagues.
After producing a four-hit night that included a double and a home run on Wednesday, he followed that up with another strong showing at the plate on Thursday.
Here’s what you need to know:
How did Hayes perform?
Hayes had two doubles and drew a walk in four plate appearances during Louisville's 11-7 victory over Omaha on Thursday. He also drove in a pair of runs. Over three games with Louisville during his current rehab stint, he's batting .583 with five extra-base hits. Prior to having his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A, Hayes played in two games for High A Dayton, going 1-for-6.
What’s next?
While Hayes' bat seems to be heating up, he’ll likely need to play in more rehab games before returning to the Reds’ lineup. According to manager Terry Francona when Hayes began his rehab assignment last week, there is no “set number” of games that the club has in mind, though.
What are they saying?
While Hayes was at the team’s Spring Training facility in Goodyear, Ariz., prior to being sent out on a Minor League rehab assignment, he received advice from hitting coach Chris Valaika and his staff about adjustments he could make at the plate that might get him going 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.”
What else?
Hayes has had a history of back issues throughout his Major League career, causing him to miss time in each year from 2022-24.
The 29-year-old has consistently been one of the best defensive third basemen in the game, winning Gold Glove Awards in ’23 and ’25. Offensively, however, he has a career .662 OPS, and his OPS in 152 games last season was .596.
The best offensive campaign of Hayes’ career so far came in 2023, when he produced a .271/.309/.453 slash line with 15 homers in 525 plate appearances for the Pirates. The Reds are hoping that with the adjustments he’s currently working to implement, he’ll be able to get back to that type of output moving forward.