Ke'Bryan Hayes Returns to the Field, Shares Update on Back Injury Recovery

Cincinnati Reds infielder Ke'Bryan Hayes played in his first rehab games on Friday night with High-A Dayton.

He went 1-3 with a single. The veteran infielder has been on the injured list since the middle of May with a lumbar bulging disc in his back. It's an injury similar to what he's dealt with previously.

"The back, I have kind of been battling it for a couple of years now," Hayes told Kayler Smith of WDTN. "Last year, I was able to not go on the IL at all with it, but unfortunately, I had to. Just working myself way back now, but I feel good. It's been a little bit of a grind for me the last couple of years, but I don't like to make excuses. I just got to figure it out."

The Reds traded for Hayes at the trade deadline last season. As he mentioned above, Hayes has been dealing with back issues for a while now, which raises a red flag of why the Reds traded for him in the first place.

"Over time, sometimes with my swing, how I am swinging can put stress on my back," Hayes said. "That was one of the things we wanted to figure out."

Hayes told Smith that he will be in Dayton all weekend to continue his rehab assignment, but will then go to Triple-A Louisville.

Where Does Hayes Fit?

May 23, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds’ Ke'bryan Hayes receives the 2025 Gold Glove Award before the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Hayes is known for his elite defense, he's struggled offensively for years now. Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suarez have filled in for Hayes at third base. Stewart has held his own defensively at third base and has been one of the team's best hitters.

At times, Suarez has struggled at third this season and has not lived up to the expectations offensively that the front office and fanbase had for him.

It certainly feels like this rehab stint will be a longer one so that the Reds have more time to figure out their plan for Hayes and how he fits on the current roster.

You can see the full interview with Hayes below:

#Reds 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes gives a lot of insight into his back injury. This is at least his 6th IL stint b/c of his back.

He looked smooth on the hot corner, and went 1-3 at the plate in High-A. Says he'll be here the rest of the weekend before going to AAA Louisville.@WDTN pic.twitter.com/b3QJyjv6MT
— Kayler Smith - WDTN (@KaylerSmithTV) July 4, 2026

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