PIRATES

Ke'Bryan Hayes doesn't think he'll be 100% healthy ever again, that's simply the nature of the chronic back injury that has plagued him for the past three seasons. But, he's also not allowing it to prevent him from being in the best possible position to play every day.

"It's going to be a lot of work going forward. But, that's my job to take that challenge," Hayes said Wednesday at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla.

After a 2024 season in which his back was constantly aggravated by not just baseball activities, but normal every day life, and he was forced to the injured list twice, Hayes decided to visit Dr. Robert Watkins in Los Angeles for an evaluation. Since then, Hayes has adjusted his swing, electing for a higher two-hand finish that takes stress off his lower back and core, has enlisted the help of a nutritionist and other every day things that will help him recover quicker and stay on the field during a 162-game season.

It's resulted in Hayes feeling "the best I've felt in a while as far as moving around and running.”

That's evident.

As Hayes made his way around the facility at Pirate City, where he was among a group of field players that reported early with pitchers and catchers, he was smiling, laughing and seeming like himself again. 

"I feel really great. I feel like I was able to get in pretty good shape. Running good, hitting," Hayes said. "For the most part, there's no setbacks this offseason. So yeah, just feeling good. I know it's going to be a lot of work."

That in itself is the ugly truth of Hayes' situation. This problem will unfortunately never go away and the best thing that Hayes can do, is find a way to manage it. Where he stands right now, physically, is the product of an offseason in which he was able to work his way back into shape and find different ways to manage his body.

It started with adjusting his swing from a one-hand finish to two, which is something he used to do as a kid. He thought he'd try it to see if it would take stress off his back and it has. Even Derek Shelton noticed Wednesday when Hayes took batting practice for the first time.

"I think the biggest thing is, it looks unrestricted. It looks free," Shelton said. "When you're free and easy because you can rotate, it's gonna provide really productive impact on the ball."

Next was finding a different way to get stronger. He couldn't lift weights the way he had in the past. One minor move in the wrong direction would tweak his back. In fact, Hayes was finding that normal every day activities would do the same. 

So, with Watkins' direction, Hayes has been utilizing an intense and extensive rehab program that focuses more on reps or time and less on extra weight.

"When I got into the weight room this offseason, it just felt different because in the last couple years, I would get in the weight room and any weight that I would try to get, any heavier weight, it would just throw my body out of line and stuff would start pulling and hurting and stuff," Hayes said. "So, I mean, this offseason, I was able to lift like I did before I got injured, how I used to lift. Now, I got to make it to where I can continue to do that just to help my body stay strong, to be able to recover through our long season." 

That last part is the most important piece of Hayes' recovery. His rehab program is extensive and he needs to find a way to manage that on a day-to-day basis. The travel, games, workouts, basically the grind of being a major leaguer all comes into play. He said his current workload is similar to what it would be in-season, minus the games, so he feels comfortable with where he's currently at.

"For the most part, I know what I need to do," Hayes said. "I think spring'll be a good time once we start playing games with the workload of practicing, setting up a plan. I think we're going to try to get on the phone with Watkins and see what his thoughts would be of how to structure it and stuff like that."

Since signing an eight-year, $70 million extension in April of 2022, Hayes' back problems have caused him to struggle at the plate. He hit .244/.314/.345 in 2022 and .271/.309/.453 in 2023. Last season, was the worst year as he hit .233/.283/.290. 

It's been a frustrating stretch. He went from dealing with the injury through most of the 2022 season, to recovering enough in 2023 to put together a decent year with 15 home runs and 61 RBIs. Then had it all come crashing back down last year.

Despite his struggles, there's still belief that Hayes can be a productive piece of a winning Pirates team. While he may not be the best hitting third baseman in the league at his healthiest, he showed what he was capable of in 2023.

"I think that's the biggest point: He did not play healthy," Shelton said. "He tried to grind through it. We missed him a ton. We've seen how impactful he can be as a third baseman, both offensively and defensively, when he's healthy. It's important for us to keep him happy."

Hayes is just as frustrated with how the past three years have gone as anyone. It's clear as day. He wants to be on the field with his teammates and contributing to a winning ball club. He knows his production hasn't lived up to the expectations of his contract and he's ready to change all of that.

To put himself in the best possible position health wise on a day-to-day basis is Hayes' newest challenge and he's ready to conquer it.

"I'm up for it if it's going to keep me on that field 'cause, I mean, that's why I'm here," Hayes said. "I've got to be out on the field. I'm doing everything I can to make sure that I'm healthy enough to be out there with my team." 

Here's his full interview: