The Cincinnati Reds made a set of roster moves 35 minutes before the start of today’s afternoon game against the Chicago Cubs. Infielder Edwin Arroyo has been called up from Triple-A Louisville. He’s taking the place of third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left groin strain. The moves of Hayes to the injured list is retroactive for August 27th and would make him eligible to return to the active roster on September 6th (or any day after that).
Cincinnati called Edwin Arroyo up on June 1st after a hot start in Triple-A with the Louisville Bats. Over the next two months he struggled to do much at the plate as he hit just .244/.286/.282 with three doubles, a triple, and no home runs in 44 games played. Just as notable, though, is that Arroyo struggled in the field. While second base was not a position that was brand new to him, he did not have nearly as much time at the position as he had at shortstop and it seemed that lack of experience was one of the reasons he seemed to struggle there in the field. At the end of July he was optioned back to Louisville.
Arroyo got out to a hot start with the Bats in his first two weeks back. But he didn’t play for five days and since he returned on August 21st to the Louisville lineup he’s gone 1-15.
Ke’Bryan Hayes is making a second trip to the injured list this season. His back was giving him problems again earlier this year and he missed seven weeks before returning to the lineup right before the All-Star break. After a tough first half where he hit just .143/.200/.222 in 46 games, things haven’t gone too much better in the second half. In the 32 games he’s played since his return he’s hitting just .171/.237/.300. While that’s better than the first half was, it’s also similar to what a pitcher known to be an ok hitter would have put up a decade ago.
The defense of Hayes will certainly be missed. But a Reds offense that ranks among the worst in baseball in most categories will likely improve in his time out of the lineup.
Just DFA Hayes already. Wasting roster spots on Friedl and Hayes costs you when you DFA the wrong guy for a needed roster spot like CES
I with you, Hayes was a horrible idea from the outset. As I’ve said, Stewart, Suarez, McLain, Elly, or even Arroyo, anybody at 3rd except Hayes. Krall should have been fired for that move alone.
The Reds have a winning W-L record (by a good number of W over L) when Hayes is in the lineup. He didn’t cause that but the facts remain.
His defense is #1 among active 3B in MLB and #2 all-time. Brooks Robinson is #5 all-time, and Nolan Arenado is #4.
Where’s he going to play when he gets in the lineup? We saw him at 2B and that was “uncomfortable”.
Only 4 more days until the roster expands anyway, so I’m thinking he’s up for good at this point.
Is it possible to put Hayes on the 1100 day IL?
I am not sold on Edwin Arroyo. Maybe send him to a gym in the offseason in order to get stronger. One other thought, was reading up on Ted William’s theory on hitting. Matt McClain could learn a lot from his approach. https://tedwilliams.com/_data/hzone.htm . Notice that the low and away corner is only a .230 ish zone for Mr. Williams. Modern stats could produce a similar heat map for McClain. He should consult that every day in the off season and commit to swinging at his pitch rather than the pitcher’s out pitches. If he could hit .250 he would be an asset rather than a #9 hitter in a weak lineup.
If low and away could produce a .230 heat map for McLain , maybe that’s where he should swing.
Matt McClain is no Ted Williams.
Ke’Bryan Hayes has been able to accomplish much considering what he’s been going through. As I understand it playing with his chronic back issue can be very difficult and painful. I have to give him credit for that.
I also consider him a very smart/wise man in accepting his extension money. Just think where he would be if he hadn’t. Many others should take note. ANYTHING can happen. I like the guy.
The Reds are in a business though and that business is winning. He’s much more of a liability than an asset in that business. I wish him the best in his retirement whenever that might be but I honestly hope I never see him in a Reds uniform again short of a miraculous healing of his back.
I don’t place any blame on Hayes. He signed himself a good deal and was traded.
He’s damaged goods with additional hitting flaws that probably aren’t related to his back. The Reds GM made an F- trade, that is where the blame sits. Most of
amateurs said it was an obvious terrible deal right when it was made. It was pathetic and obvious and ownership should’ve known this too. Every red flag was there, I will never ever get that deal. It’s like the GM was drunk or blackmailed or paid extra on the side by the Pirates. Now, I don’t think any of that is the case but it was that bad of a deal. It was very, very, very obvious!!!
That deals should have cost a job, it was that obvious that it was a turd deal. The pirates probably initially thought it was an April Fools Day joke. This guy has flushed a lot of money for a team that cries poor!
Injuries happen and for Hayes they keep piling up.Krall knew it was a risk because of his back and his lack of hitting but took it anyway.This trade delayed by 2 months the arrival of Sal last year and this year it moved Steer from first to the outfield to make room at first for Sal.Sal played almost every game in the minors at third base.Just a lot of weakening the defense in other spots to keep Hayes and his glove at third.Just a bad move and it keeps getting worse.Now Arroyo who just started playing second this year is back up so where does he play now? Reds have no plan at all.Guess you stick him at third and see just like when they stuck him at second.
Sal will be fine at 3RD base.
Good points made about the effect of the trade on other players (not good). I would also lump in the CES DFA as another 2nd order effect, can’t argue about it but there are others much more “worthy” for release at that time. Just for the record, CES is holding down 3rd base for Baltimore since being called up a little over a month ago. He is now sporting an OPS of .829 and has accumulated 0.8 WAR in only 123 plate appearances.
I imagine we’ll go into next year with
1B Stewart
2B McLain
SS EDLC
C Trevino
Bleday OF
Rodriguez OF
Steer OF/Util INF
I’ll be interested to see if they play Arroyo at 3B and McLain at 2B in September or vice versa. If Arroyo does decent, my guess is they roll with him and KBH in the INF in ’27 and look for a back up catcher and OF.
Sigh.
Not picking on you but that is a worse offense than this year 29th rated offense. No Suarez or Lowe. And a lesser offensive C. And at least one 190 hitter. We certainly can stand one but by the same token we need significant improvement pieces at several positions. Not equal or lesser hitters.C? 3B? CF?
I became a fan when Grady Hatton covered third base for the Reds. He was a solid player, especially in his early years, and was a favorite of the Red’s announcer, Waite Hoyt. In order to lift the lack of offense in the lower batting order, I hope the Reds this offseason can send Ke’Bryan Hayes to one of the other 29 teams. If I was in charge, I wouldn’t ask for any player or money in return, just go with what you have at third and gradually return the ‘hot corner to the offensive position it is.
Those were tough years for the Reds. Mid 1940s to mid 1950s. Klu and Blackwell were stars.
Big Klu and Ewell (the whip) Blackwell along with Wally Post, Jim Greengrass, Kenny Raffensberger and others made the not easy trip to Crosley Field from Butler County worthwhile.
There’s been a lot of discussion about how important the coaches are. The Reds clearly believed they saw something that coaching could improve in Hayes. They were wrong. Krall was wrong, and so were the scouts and coaches who helped make that call.