Austin

Hays

Grade 1 is the best case scenario for a strain. Hays was placed on the 10-day injured list prior to Tuesday’s game, and while he won’t be back after a minimum stint, there’s a good chance that he can be back in the lineup by the end of April or start of May, if there are no setbacks.

Hays exited Monday’s game when he was trying to chase down a bloop single in the outfield. He’ll now land on the IL for a few weeks. The 30-year-old was slashing .219/.242/.344 in nine games with a 12/1 K/BB ratio.

Hays pulled up and was favoring his right leg after trying to corral a bloop single to right field in the fourth inning and immediately left the contest against his former club. There should be an update on his status once he undergoes an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. It certainly seems like a potential injured list situation.

Hays kicked off the scoring by taking Angels starter Alek Manoah deep in the opening frame, hooking a 387-foot blast down the left-field line. The 30-year-old doesn’t offer too much power/speed combo upside at this stage of his career but he’s a strong bet to reach 15 homers with a respectable batting average and a handful of stolen bases for a rebuilding White Sox squad.

Hays usually does his damage against left-handed pitching, but he roped a one-out triple off of Alexis Diaz in the fourth inning of this one and trotted home on LaMonte Wade Jr’s two-run blast. He’ll see the bulk of his starts against southpaws in 2026, making him more of a streaming option for fantasy purposes than an every week starter.

We’re not at all sure a merely competent outfielder was a thing the White Sox already needed with Andrew Benintendi already locked into the lineup, but Hays should be a steady enough presence, even if he is a below average hitter against right-handers. Since he’s potentially more valuable as a fourth outfielder starting against lefties, there’s also the bonus that he could be attractive to contenders at the deadline. Playing for the Reds last year, he hit .266/.315/.453, giving him a 105 OPS+ that’s right in line with his career mark of 106.

Hays represents an interesting dice roll for the rebuilding White Sox since they should be able to flip him to a contending team for a prospect package at the trade deadline. The 30-year-old veteran drew interest from the Mets, Yankees and Cardinals this offseason but will take over as one of Chicago’s corner outfield options in the aftermath of the Luis Robert Jr. trade earlier this month. He posted a respectable .266/.315/.453 slash line with 15 homers and seven steals across 103 games for the Reds last season. He projects as a borderline top-60 outfielder for fantasy purposes, which limits his appeal to deeper formats as a low-ceiling, late-round selection in drafts this spring.

Hays rebounded somewhat last season after some health struggles in 2024, posting a 105 OPS+ in 416 plate appearances for the Reds. He still might be an everyday guy on an also-ran, but contenders would presumably want him as a platoon guy against left-handers, albeit one who is a capable fallback as a full-timer if injuries strike.

The Mets are looking to add an outfielder, and while they would prefer a centerfielder, they are reportedly interested in seeing if Hays could play left field for them. The 30-year-old was good for the Reds when healthy last year, slashing .266/.315/.453 with 15 home runs and seven steals in 103 games. The issue is that he couldn’t stay healthy. Hays feels more like a fourth outfielder on a contender, and it remains to be seen just how interested the Mets are.

Hays is one of three players that the Reds declined options on, with Brent Suter and Scott Barlow joining Hays. The 30-year-old outfielder dealt with injuries for much of the 2025 season, but he did post a solid .768 OPS with 15 homers and 64 RBI in his 103 appearances with Cincinnati. He’ll certainly have interest on the market, even with his injury history and less-than-spectacular defense.