Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes scratched with lower back tightness. Grandal starts rehab assignment
Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes scratched with lower back tightness. Grandal starts rehab assignment
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes hits a single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes throws to first base for an out during the first inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes, left, is forced out at home by Baltimore Orioles catcher James McCann on a bases loaded fielder’s choice by Rowdy Tellez during the bottom of the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, April 7, 2024. The Pirates won 3-2. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes hits a single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes hits a single during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Laurence Kesterson)
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes throws to first base for an out during the first inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes throws to first base for an out during the first inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes, left, is forced out at home by Baltimore Orioles catcher James McCann on a bases loaded fielder’s choice by Rowdy Tellez during the bottom of the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, April 7, 2024. The Pirates won 3-2. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes, left, is forced out at home by Baltimore Orioles catcher James McCann on a bases loaded fielder’s choice by Rowdy Tellez during the bottom of the ninth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, April 7, 2024. The Pirates won 3-2. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
NEW YORK (AP) — Gold Glove third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes was scratched from the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup Tuesday night against the New York Mets because of tightness in his lower back.
“It just kind of locked up on him a little bit trying to work out. He couldn’t get it really to release, so just out of the abundance of caution just going to make sure that we keep him down,” manager Derek Shelton said before his team’s 3-1 loss.
Jared Triolo shifted from second base to third and moved from sixth in the batting order to Hayes’ spot at No. 3.
Oneil Cruz, who had been scheduled for a night off against left-hander Jose Quintana, was inserted at shortstop. Alika Williams moved from shortstop to second base.
Hayes is batting .277 with no homers and seven RBIs.
In other injury-related news, Yasmani Grandal (left foot plantar fasciitis) began a rehab assignment Tuesday night with Triple-A Indianapolis. The 35-year-old catcher went 0 for 2 with a walk and an RBI. He was expected to play four or five innings, Shelton said, but there’s still no timetable for his return.
“As we kind of build up, we’ll have to go from there,” Shelton said. “He really has had no spring training, so we’ve got to make sure we get a spring training aspect there.”
Grandal, a two-time All-Star, is waiting to make his Pirates debut. He signed a $2.5 million, one-year contract in mid-February after spending the previous four seasons with the Chicago White Sox.
“We’ve been able to do everything with him. He’s been catching. He’s been getting at-bats off the machine. But he hasn’t played in a game,” Shelton said. “So we just need to get the game in. We need to get running in. We need to get him on the bases as much as possible.”
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb