FORT MYERS, Fla. – Ke’Bryan Hayes is aiming to be back in time to start in the Pirates’ lineup on opening day. If that means he has to miss the rest of spring training, including Saturday’s 7-2 Pirates win over the Red Sox, then he’ll miss it.
“As much as you want to get as many at-bats as you can in spring training before, looking at the bigger picture, just being healthy for opening day and being available the whole year, I have to make sure I don’t roll it [my right ankle] again,” Hayes said before the game, not making the trip down I-75 to JetBlue Park with his team.
The Pirates are aiming for him to be in opening day lineups for years to come.
According to a source, the Pirates have made a long-term extension offer to Hayes. The details of that offer are not yet known, and given the timeline of conversations with Hayes this spring, this offer is extremely new, and came without much discussion between the two sides that such a proposal would be a possibility this spring.
It’s not the first time the two sides have discussed a potential long-term deal, having done so in 2020 and 2021. Those negotiations started well, with both sides agreeing to what Hayes’ long-term standing with the organization should be, but did not advance far once figures were exchanged.
Hayes is under team control for four more years after 2022, but an extension would lock-in what he would be paid and, presumably, keep him a Pirate for years after he would have been a free agent.
Given that Hayes was hampered by a sore wrist for almost all of last year and was held to just 96 games in his rookie season, a long-term offer wasn’t a guarantee because it created some doubt that he could play a full 162-game season. That injury came in the second game of the season, and even when he was back, Hayes wasn’t 100% at the plate.
It’s why he worked on making some adjustments to his mechanics this winter, adopting a two-handed follow through in order to take some pressure off that wrist and ensure that it didn’t flare up again. So far, the wrist has been symptom free.
Now, the problem is his right ankle which had started to inflame on him one week ago and had kept him out of the lineup since.
“The plan is to be ready opening day,” he said before Saturday’s game, when I caught up with Hayes at his locker at LECOM Park, before news of an offer had broken, and most likely, the offer itself had been made.
And they have been operating under a plan. He started running again Thursday at roughly 50%. Friday, he was running at full effort, going at top speed and acting like he was running through the bag.
There was no running in the schedule for him Saturday. Instead, it’s ground balls and taking live batting practices against Max Kranick, Luis Oviedo and Chase De Jong. He’ll probably start cutting in his running drills Sunday, and if that goes well, run the bases on Monday. Those are the final steps in a potential return, which could put him back in the lineup either for a bit in the spring finale Tuesday or in the opener Thursday in St. Louis.
Of course there is some precaution taken because it is spring training. If it was the regular season…
“I would have tried to [play through it],” Hayes said. “I would have just had to come in super early. Make sure it’s right, get it taped up.”
He did admit afterwards though that if he would have rolled his ankle again during the rehab process, he probably would have needed to wear a boot and been sidelined longer.
That mindset to get back on the field may have been part of the problem last year for Hayes. That competitive drive may have resulted in him pushing himself back from his wrist injury sooner than he should have. His only goal for this season is to be available for all 162 games. You can't do that if you aren't available for game No. 1.
“I know he wants to play, and I appreciate that,” Derek Shelton said when asked about the ankle injury and if the Pirates need to take what happened last year into consideration with his future rehab. “I think in the back of our mind all the time, first and foremost, is the wellness of our player, but also taking into account with how he feels and what he's saying. With with the foot thing, we're going to be able to have a better idea [than we did with the wrist] just because we're gonna be able to watch his gait. We're gonna be able to watch him run and be able to watch him cut the bases. And we'll watch that and kind of monitor and then make a decision off that.”
Shelton alluded afterwards that if Hayes is healthy, he’ll definitely be at third base in St. Louis. No guarantee was made, however, though Hayes did sound very confident that being ready was the expectation, not just a possibility.
If he does make that start, it will be interesting to see if he is the only member of the opening day infield remaining at the end of this season. Players like Kevin Newman, Michael Chavis, Cole Tucker and Yoshi Tsutsugo could potentially give way to the likes of Oneil Cruz, Diego Castillo, Rodolfo Castro and Mason Martin.
Hayes is the anchor of the infield, hence the Pirates’ offer. And it’s one that Hayes’ camp has entertained in the past because he believes in what the Pirates are building.
“Like Shelty said, there’s a lot of people competing for that opening day roster spot,” Hayes said. “That’s a good thing, when you have a whole bunch of options. With us being so young, a lot of people are going to take us lightly. But even in spring, you could see what those young guys could do. We’re looking forward to it. I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”
MORE FROM THE GAME
• JT Brubaker got his final spring training tune up Saturday, and ironically his first start of the spring after being used as the second bulk pitcher in his first two outings. He went 3 2/3 innings, walking three and allowing three hits but not allowing a run after Aaron Fletcher cleaned up a bases loaded jam in the fourth. His fastball was sitting in the mid-90s, and while his breaking stuff and control were at times mixed, he was spinning his slider, which he thinks is in a good spot ahead of the season.
As for how Brubaker will be used, I listed him as someone who will most likely be in the rotation, but the Pirates have not had a discussion with him about his role yet. It's worth noting that he was a bit of guinea pig back in 2020, being used out of the bullpen at first.
"It’s exciting in the sense that you get to feel that we’re gonna do whatever it takes to win," Brubaker said on pitchers being potentially deployed differently next seaosn. "Our coaching staff is gonna put us in a situation for us to succeed, for the team to win. Whatever that situation is, whatever role, you embrace it. As long as the entire team embraces it and rolls with it, that’s just a good start where we’ll have success."
• Diego Castillo just continues to crush the ball, going deep for a fifth time this spring, this time opposite field off Nathan Eovaldi:
Diego Castillo is the man. pic.twitter.com/OzdcZnbcwx
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 2, 2022
Bligh Madris also stayed hot with a couple hits and an outfield assist in left field, and Michael Chavis went deep for the first time this spring.
• Miguel Yajure made his spring debut, allowing three hits and a run over two innings pitched. His breaking pitches had some bite, but his fastball was consistently 90-91 mph, which was where it was towards the end of last season.
He told me earlier this camp he thought his velocity would be back up. It's worth keeping in mind it was his first spring training game.
• Josh VanMeter has reported to the Pirates, and he brought at least four different gloves with him. That's life as a utilityman, after all.
“I think I've got more than that,” VanMeter said at his locker this morning. “I'm trying to break some new ones in. I’ve got plenty. That's for sure.”
Defensive versatility got his foot in the door, but he will need to hit to be able to keep his roster spot. He hit well in the minors, but has struggled in his major-league career, something Shelton partially attributed to sporadic playing time.
“I hate to make excuses, because I was taught from a young age that they all stink,” VanMeter said, “but I do think that getting consistent ABs is a big factor into success. And hopefully, I can get some of those here.”
THE ESSENTIALS
• Boxscore
• Live file
• Schedule
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE INJURIES
• Anthony Alford is dealing with a right hand injury that the team is evaluating.
THE ROSTER
A pair of moves to report today. Right-hander Adonis Medina, who was acquired earlier this camp from the Phillies, has been optioned to Class AAA Indianapolis, and right-hander Austin Brice has been reassigned to minor-league camp. There are now 38 players in camp: 20 pitchers, four catchers, eight infielders, six outfielders.
THE LINEUPS
Shelton's card:
1. Hoy Park, RF
2. Diego Castillo, SS
3. Daniel Vogelbach, 1B
4. Michael Chavis, 3B
5. Bligh Madris, LF
6. Hunter Owen, DH
7. Matt Fraizer, CF
8. Jamie Ritchie, C
9. Nick Gonzales, 2B
And for Alex Cora's Red Sox:
1. Kiké Hernández, CF
2. Alex Verdugo, LF
3. Trevor Story, 2B
4. J.D. Martinez, DH
5. Travis Shaw, 1B
6. Kevin Plawecki, C
7. Jackie Bradley Jr, RF
8. Christian Arroyo, SS
9. Yolmer Sánchez, 3B
THE SCHEDULE
It's back to LECOM Park for one last game this spring Sunday. Mitch Keller will get the start against the Rays, with first pitch coming at 1:05 p.m. I'll be there, sharing horrible photos of the Clemente gecko on Twitter.
THE CONTENT
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