The Pirates are more than likely going to be without Ke’Bryan Hayes for a little while longer than they had hoped.
Derek Shelton announced Tuesday that Hayes, who has been on the injured list with left wrist discomfort since April 4, still is not swinging a bat in his rehab. Although Hayes is eligible to return from the IL on Wednesday, this road block obviously points to a longer stay on the shelf.
Shelton declined to provide a formal timeline for the Pirates’ star third baseman.
“We haven’t made any decisions on what we’re doing with him,” the skipper said. “We’ll just take the health day by day.”
Hayes was lifted from the second game of the season at Wrigley Field after experiencing some discomfort in his wrist after fouling a pitch off against Jake Arrieta. X-rays taken that night were negative, but an MRI did reveal some inflammation in the area. It looked as though he would be able to avoid the IL, but the pain persisted through some pregame activities in Chicago and the club opted to shut him down.
Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said last week that Hayes was improving but keeping the wrist out of his baseball activities like throwing but not playing catch and not swinging.
“Obviously, we want him back as safely and expeditiously as we can with the long term in mind,” Tomczyk said, adding that Hayes does not need to wear a brace on the wrist. “If it's not day 11, it's not day 11. We want him to feel strong. We want him to feel confident. We want him to be healthy for the majority of the season.”
Tomczyk also said last week that the injury had not been getting worse, but they weren’t ready to tell if it would become a chronic issue.
The 24-year-old Hayes homered in his first at-bat of the season against the Cubs. It was his only hit in five at-bats before going down. He’s cemented his place as a cornerstone of the franchise rebuild, and is just about the only present candidate for a long-term extension -- though those talks with the Pirates have not gained much traction.
Phillip Evans has made the most of the opportunity that’s come of Hayes’ absence. The Pirates have filled Hayes’ role at third base with Evans, Erik Gonzalez and Wilmer Difo. But Evans has capitalized to the tune of a .406 average and 1.207 OPS, both of which are sixth-best in MLB. Evans also has the ability to play multiple positions, which can ensure his bat stays in the lineup when Hayes does eventually return.
“He has the ability to bounce around the field, and we’ll kind of cross that bridge when we come to it,” Shelton said.
MORE PREGAME NOTES
• This was teased prior to Monday’s 6-2 loss to the Padres, but Difo is getting the start in center field Tuesday night. Difo tripled and homered in his past two at-bats, both of which came as a pinch hitter late in games. The 29-year-old veteran has five hits, including a pair of doubles, in his first 12 at-bats this season.
Difo, a natural infielder, has had a difficult time breaking into the lineup ahead of Gonzalez. But he’s gotten some work in the outfield in batting practice, spring training and a game last week against Cincinnati. Facing left-hander Blake Snell on Tuesday night, Shelton found the right opportunity to give him the start in center.
“Tonight, it’s just more the fact of getting a couple more right-handers in the lineup, and he’s more comfortable in center,” Shelton said.
The lefty-righty matchups also factored into Shelton’s decision to leave Gregory Polanco out of the starting lineup for the second consecutive game. Polanco struck out on three pitches as a pinch hitter Monday night.
Difo’s ability to play center field may help Shelton should put some pressure on struggling outfielders like Polanco, Anthony Alford and Dustin Fowler. Alford was pushed to right field Tuesday night because Difo was more comfortable in center than a corner spot.
