CHICAGO -- For the third time this season, left fielder Austin Hays, one of the best offensive weapons on the Reds, was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday. Hays has a left foot contusion and his IL move is retroactive to Thursday.
In the sixth inning of Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Royals, Hays fouled a ball off of his foot before drawing a walk. While limping, he scored from second base on a base hit and was lifted from the game. An MRI was negative for a fracture.
"We’re thrilled there’s not a broken bone, but he’s really sore," manager Terry Francona said. "So we need to just let him have a few days. Hopefully, that’s all it is.”
Hays, who was signed to a one-year, $5 million contract as a free agent in the offseason, opened the season on the IL with a left calf strain. After being activated April 15, a left hamstring strain had him out from April 29-May 9.
In 31 games this season, Hays is batting .303 with a .901 OPS, six home runs and 25 RBIs. Over his previous two IL stints, Cincinnati was 10-14 without him.
“It doesn’t help. When you come to really love a guy in your lineup, you miss him," Francona said. "But it happens so you just do the best you can. Sometimes, you’ve got to win different ways.”
Hays' presence in the Reds lineup has often lifted others around him, making his absence felt even more. During his first IL stint, the team batted .200 with a .592 OPS. It was .196 with a .577 OPS during the second IL stint.
With Hays, the Reds batted .312 with an .896 OPS as a club from April 15-28 and then .272 with a .779 OPS from May 10-28.
“He’s a big part of our lineup in the middle there," Reds outfielder/DH Gavin Lux said. "Not that it puts more pressure on anybody else, but I think everyone just has to pick up their game a little bit to make up for him being out of there. It stinks, he’s a big part of our lineup. We’ve just got to move forward and let everyone do their role."
Outfielder Jake Fraley was activated from the IL after he was out since May 7 with left calf tenderness.
In another move, right-handed reliever Lyon Richardson was recalled from Triple-A Louisville.