So when Hays tweaked his calf at the end of spring training, he and the Reds agreed that the best thing to do would be playing it safe. Hays has started this season on the injured list, but the goal is to have him back on April 11.
“It was good news with the MRI that it was a mild strain,” Hays said. “Similar to what I felt like I had last year when it came on and I made the decision to play through it. I ended up Grade 2-ing it and missed three weeks. We didn’t want to make that mistake. We’ll take a few days now, get right and play 150-plus games.”
While Hays is trying to look on the bright side, the injury still came at a bad time.
Hays signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Reds in January as he sought to reestablish his value coming off an injury-riddled 2024 season. Reds manager Terry Francona said that Hays was “proving it” with a scorching spring training.
Before the injury, Hays was slated to hit cleanup and be the Reds’ every day left fielder.
“He has shown us a lot of things,” Francona said. ‘I watched him every day running the bases with his head up, knowing where the ball is. When he’s a trail runner, he never gives an inch. This guy plays baseball the way you’re supposed to. He’s going to do some damage at the plate.”
On paper, the weaknesses of the Reds’ lineup are the outfield, the power and the production versus left-handed pitching. Based on what he showed in spring training, Hays should help the Reds in all three areas.
Playing in Baltimore for most of his career, his home park featured a steep left field wall that took away a lot of Hays’ homers. Had he played at Great American Ball Park in 2023, he would have hit 29 home runs.
During spring training, as Hays gave his first impression in a Reds uniform, he made it clear that power is a part of his game.
“I drive the ball in the gaps and hit a lot of balls on a line,” Hays said. “When I’m hitting the ball harder, those doubles turn into homers. It can be a very big part of my game. Power isn’t a huge part of my game, but when you put yourself in a ballpark where the power is a little more capable, it definitely can become a big part of my game.”
The Reds’ offense has been a bit hot and cold to start the season, and they’re counting on Hays providing a significant boost when he returns in the middle of April.
Because he was proactive in managing this calf injury, Hays feels like he’ll be able to carry over his strong spring training performance into the season.
“I had a really good camp,” Hays said. “It was good for me to check a lot of boxes by playing, hitting the ball hard and seeing that I’m back to who I am in true form after going through all the stuff I had last year. Let’s just take this little break, recover and get ready to go for a long season.”
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