After some delay, Ke’Bryan Hayes will be returning to the field Tuesday and could be activated off the list later this week.
During his radio show on 93.7 The Fan, Ben Cherington said that Hayes will join the Pirates’ alternate site team in Toldeo, Ohio Tuesday to play against the players at the Tigers’ site. It will take the place of a rehab trip since the minor-league season will not start until May 4.
The plan is for Hayes to play a game or two.
“Assuming he gets through that ok, hopefully he’s not too long away from being activated,” Cherington said.
Hayes took live batting practice off a machine Sunday. He began swinging a bat Tuesday, taking reps against soft toss throws in a cage.
He injured his left wrist on a swing during the second game of the season on April 3, and while it was initially believed to be a day-to-day issue, the Pirates placed him on the 10-day injured list the following day. At the time the expectation was he would only be sidelined 10 days, but after getting a better understanding of the injury, the Pirates decided to be cautious and take his rehab slowly to make sure it wouldn’t reappear.
The Pirates will be in Detroit this Tuesday through Thursday and will conclude their road trip in Minnesota from Friday to Sunday.
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• The "energy level's been good" at the alternate site so far. There is no official word yet from Major League Baseball for when those training sites will disband, but Cherington hopes that the minor-league season will start on schedule.
"Without AAA baseball, that is effectively our first line of defense," Cherington said.
The players at the alternate site are on a road trip of their own this week. They are currently concluding a three-game series against the Indians' alternate site. After that, they will go to Toledo for four games before facing the Reds' reserves in Louisville, Ky.
• As for minor-league spring training in Bradenton, Fla., Cherington has been encouraged about what they've seen out of some of the Pirates' younger players after being away from organized ball for over a year. "We've seen some guys really change their bodies. We've seen some guys take a step forward in a skill area. That's exciting."
Cherington is flying down to Bradenton Sunday to watch the camp.