It has been painful to watch Ke’Bryan Hayes at various times this season.
What the Pirates third baseman has experienced has been even worse: debilitating back issues stretching back to the lockout in 2022, a disc problem that seemingly has no available solution aside from rest, hope and playing through plenty of pain.
The whole thing stinks for Hayes, the Pirates and their fans, who watched Hayes soar to star status over the final two months (.299 average and .874 OPS from Aug. 1 on) of 2023 before enduring a gigantic regression this season.
After the Pirates stumbled their way to a 10-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday at PNC Park, I approached Hayes to talk about his ongoing back issues, which actually kept him out of the lineup.
They have reduced Hayes to a shell of his former self, the team’s MVP (as voted on by the Pittsburgh chapter of the BBWAA) last year hitting just .233 with a .573 OPS and a wRC+ of 60 (where 100 is considered average).
“Someone who has what I have, you want to stay away from turning,” Hayes said. “But that’s what I have to do every day.
“It’s been frustrating, for sure, just knowing that I’m a lot better than what I’m showcasing. I want to be out there every day, but it’s just ... hard.”
There’s been a lot of vitriol directed toward Hayes, but I can sort of sympathize with all involved.
As a junior in high school, I suffered two cracks along the lower part of my spine. Blindside blitz in football. Didn’t see it. While playing quarterback, a Brashear defensive back made me pay. And the bills still arrive to this day.
The issue with Hayes isn’t the same, but it’s no less painful. The way he described it, it sure sounds like a herniated disc.
“My whole issue is the disc has lost its jelly stuff,” Hayes said. “When we look at the MRIs, [the discs are] just kind of compressing. I don’t know that it’s rubbing, but it’s definitely a little collapsed to where there’s pressure, inflammation builds up, and muscles want to try to protect.”
When it comes to discs in your backs, there’s an analogy often drawn to a jelly donut. Discs are between bones in your spine, where they function like shock absorbers. With herniated discs, the jelly stuff (or disc fluid) breaks through the outside, placing added pressure on the nerves in your spine.
The whole thing, as some know, can be incredibly painful.
“Any time you have a teammate who’s playing through something, you gain a lot of respect for them,” Jared Triolo said. “Just being a ballplayer and giving whatever percent you have to your team is desirable in a teammate, for sure.”
I get the pain Hayes has endured and wanting to be out there for his team. However, I can’t endorse the rotten numbers he has produced.
After he was so good late last season, he has probably been the worst regular hitter in MLB this season. Among the 140 qualified position players as of late Sunday afternoon, Hayes’ .573 OPS was dead last. Next closest: Atlanta’s Orlando Arcia at .622.
Hayes is 1 for his past 24. He also has just 13 extra-base hits in 396 plate appearances, a rate that trails Alika Williams and ... well, most others.
“Sometimes when the alignment’s not there, for whatever reason, it’s definitely harder,” said Hayes, who previously talked about his hips randomly coming out of alignment. “Just trying to find ways to get around it.
“Whenever I do feel like it’s bad, I’ve been trying to figure out what I can do — playing with my stance, stuff like that. It’s not always easy having to do it up here at the highest level. It is what it is. Trying my best to figure out how to get around it.”
Despite the poor numbers, Hayes wasn’t making excuses. He’s as frustrated as anyone with how this year has gone, his inability to help the Pirates and also the questions that surround his eight-year, $70 million deal.
Hayes will make $7 million the next three season, plus $8 million in 2028 and 2029, and there’s a $12 million club option for 2030. But what do you do? The Pirates are in a tough spot.
As much as Hayes’ health has been a factor in his struggles, so, too, has his timing — or lack of it.
Perhaps because of games missed or physical limitations, Hayes has struggled this season against fastballs — his batting average against them dropping from .302 to .211, his slugging percentage taking an even worse nosedive (.466 to .227).
“When we’ve seen him really good, we’ve see him on time and able to drive balls,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “ The inconsistency with timing has been the biggest thing.”
That’s not something you correct with inconsistent at-bats, so the Pirates have been trying to allow Hayes to rediscover his rhythm. It hasn’t been working. In the meantime, the problem has been tougher to stomach due to team-wide offensive struggles.
When it comes to the bigger picture, a popular topic has become whether the Pirates should try to trade Hayes this offseason. I don’t see it happening, and here’s why:
• His value is probably at an all-time low.
• Hayes’ health, as outlined, is not good.
• There’s a chance of really getting burned.
Chatting with a National League scout this week, I asked whether he could see a team trading for Hayes. Yes, he told me, provided the medical stuff checks out.
“Hayes is the type of player I could see getting better somewhere else,” the scout said.
It’s hard to disagree.
We’ve seen what Hayes can do, the results arriving late last season around this time. It would be nothing short of huge for the Pirates to enjoy even a fraction of them right now as they make a low-percentage push toward the postseason.
There’s also no guarantee that happens. I also can’t imagine the Pirates would let Hayes go for peanuts this offseason when not long ago he was believed to be a future building block.
More than anything, the entire situation has become a pain in the back for all involved.
“I just want to be out there,” Hayes said. “I love playing baseball. I love being here and love being out there with my teammates. As hard as it is some days, whenever I don’t feel great, I still try to go out there and be there for my team.
“We’re still right there in the playoff hunt. I’m just trying my best to give whatever I can.”
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and @JMackeyPG on X.
First Published: August 18, 2024, 10:22 p.m.
