Reds bring back Ke’Bryan Hayes after injury forces surprising roster change

Ke'Bryan Hayes' rehab assignment was shorter than most imagined. The Cincinnati Reds activated the two-time Gold Glove Award-winner on Friday ahead of the team's upcoming series against the Chicago Cubs after placing Matt McLain on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain.

Hayes had been sidelined since May 22 with a back injury and had just begun a rehab assignment at High-A Dayton last week. That assignment was moved to Triple-A Louisville earlier this week, and he appeared in just five minor-league games before Friday's activation from the IL.

McLain had been out of the Reds lineup recently, and manager Terry Francona revealed that he was battling a calf issue. It would appear that the injury was more significant than initially suspected, and McLain will now be out of commission until sometime after the upcoming All-Star break.

Reds swap Ke'Bryan Hayes for Matt McLain in a move that could test fans' patience

With Hayes back in the fold, it can be assumed that he'll get the lion's share of starts at third base moving forward. The Reds had been platooning the duo of Sal Stewart and Eugenio Suárez at the hot corner in his absence, and while both are likely to receive a spot-start here and there, Hayes is the far superior defender.

Hayes' bat, however, had gone dormant prior to his placement on the injured list back in May. He was among the worst hitters in all of baseball and owned a paltry .142/.195/.225 slash line with a 10 wRC+.

But during his time with the Louisville Bats this past week, Hayes looked much better — granted that was against minor-league pitching. He went 7-for-12 (.583) with five extra base hits and three RBI in three games at Triple-A. Reds fans shouldn't expect him to maintain that sort of production against major-league arms, but even a .250 batting average would be an improvement over the numbers he put up earlier this season.

As for McLain, Reds fans won't miss his abysmal offensive performance. In 83 games this season, he's hitting .190/.293/.328 with eight home runs, 25 RBI, and a 71 wRC+. McLain was relegated to the bottom of the batting order barely a month into the 2026 season, and more recently, the Reds' coaching staff moved him off second base and into center field.

McLain was supposed to be a key cog in the middle of Cincinnati's lineup this season, but instead he's been arguably the biggest disappointment on the entire Reds roster. Perhaps a reset on the IL (and an eventual minor-league assignment) will do him some good.

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