CINCINNATI -- The Reds finally got one of their best hitters back from the injured list on Friday in Austin Hays, but that good news was tempered by the loss of another outfielder, Jake Fraley, to a shoulder injury.
Fraley was placed on the 10-day IL (retroactive to Tuesday) with what's listed as a right shoulder sprain. But the 30-year-old right fielder revealed he's dealing with a partial tear of the labrum in the front of his shoulder. It's believed that it happened while making an unsuccessful diving catch on a Cody Bellinger fly ball in the eighth inning of Monday's win over the Yankees.
“I was a little slow getting up because I felt like something happened. I felt like my shoulder kind of slipped a little bit," Fraley said.
The Reds and Fraley are currently seeking a third opinion from orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister to determine how to proceed with treating the injury. Surgery is not being ruled out.
Fraley has already met with manager Terry Francona, general manager Brad Meador and team surgeon Dr. Tim Kremchek.
"We said, 'We encourage you to send [MRI test results] to a doctor where you have the most confidence,'" Francona said ahead of Friday's game vs. the Padres. "Because if he’s going to try to play, it’s not going to work if he’s worried about it. We’re kind of in that process of doing that now. We’ll see what the best way to approach it is.”
Fraley noted that he's had issues with right shoulder soreness since 2021 with the Mariners. That includes last season.
“I never had any problems with it since, other than some achiness," Fraley explained. "Then last year, I had a play going into the wall that I jammed up the shoulder. I never went on the IL. I played through it, still had a good season and it was fine but it was excruciating.”
Fraley said he got three platelet-rich plasma injections in the offseason and that his shoulder showed improvement heading into the 2025 season.
“It’s just one of those things. When you play hard, it’s just the game it is," he said. "It’s unfortunate. We’re just trying to figure out if it’s something that’s just an old injury that kind of showed its face again. This is something new with the tear in the front. We’re just trying to figure out the best option for, obviously, me and this season on this team and then as well trying to gauge what is the best thing for me in my career. Just because it is something that has been chronic and now you’re throwing a tear on top of it.”
Fraley is batting .224 with a .707 OPS and five home runs in 47 games but also missed 20 games in May with left calf tenderness.
Cincinnati is getting Hays back for a third time this season, as he's totaled 50 games missed over three separate IL stints. He missed the last 24 games with a deep bone bruise in his left foot from a foul ball on May 28 at Kansas City.
“We’ve missed him," Francona said. "The first time he came back [in April] he was really seeing the ball good, which is kind of a coin flip. That’s being truthful. But he’s still a presence and he’s conscientious and he plays the game right. It will lengthen out our lineup and we get a leader back.”
Hays tried to return three weeks ago at Cleveland, but his foot remained sore trying to run the bases in a final test and he had to shut it down.
“I was trying to push it hard early on. I already missed games this year and was hitting well at the time, so I was really trying to force it back quick," Hays said. "We all sat down and made the decision to shut it down for the four full days. I think that was the right decision.”
Hays, 29, had eight plate appearances in two rehab games with Double-A Chattanooga this week. He had no issues hitting and especially running.
“It was good," Hays said. "I didn’t feel anything in the foot. No pain, no discomfort. That was a really good starting point."