Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes will start rehab assignment at Triple-A in 'next day or so'

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes is the closest he has been to returning to play since going on the injured list April 4 with a wrist injury.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Hayes is “responding well” to participating in a simulated game in St. Louis and is set to begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis “in the next day or so” as part of a step-by-step process.

“All things are very encouraging signs with Ke’Bryan, that he’s gonna go out and play some baseball and get a game workload with the Indians club,” Tomczyk said, “and then we’ll make a decision after that.”

Tomczyk described the area of Hayes’ injury, which involves both his left hand and wrist, as “very intricate” but indicated there was inflammation in the “web spaces” between the fingers that caused discomfort with his swing. Hayes left the Pirates’ second game of the season on April 3 at the Chicago Cubs before his second at bat.

“Yes, he has missed significant time. But we’re moving forward now. We feel he’s in a good spot to go out and compete again,” Tomczyk said. “And we’re optimistic at this time that he’s going to be healthy — at least in regards to left wrist — the remainder of the season.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton described Hayes as “excited,” even though he will be required to go through an extended rehab. Hayes is on the 60-day injured list, so he won’t be available until early June at the earliest. That gives him two weeks to play for the Indians before rejoining the Pirates.

“Key doesn’t get too up or down very much, as we’ve talked about, but when we talked to him after the simulated game he was excited to get out and start playing and get back to being our third baseman,” Shelton said. “I think his level of excitement is high.”

Tomczyk said the club hasn’t “completely disclosed” the timetable for his return with Hayes but said there is a “set expectation of games played and plate appearances.”

“I think the most important part is, we’re going to see Ke’Bryan Hayes play and head back to his goal of playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates and all its fans,” Tomczyk said. “He has been out for a substantial amount of time, so there needs to be an adequate buildup of team activity so that when he’s ready, he’s ready to impact this club.”

Shelton compared it to building up for spring training to “get him back in baseball shape,” saying Hayes will have days where he serves as designated hitter just to get him at-bats. Shelton said Hayes is taking ground balls and running the bases but needs to prepare to play nine innings before he’s ready to return to the majors.

“The first one is your eyes, just training your eyes again when you’re a hitter, being able to see pitches see the depth of pitches,” Shelton said. “It’s really easy to go out into simulated game where it’s controlled and everything you know is very easy because you can step out and take as much time (as you want). So, the control of your eyes and watching pitches is the first thing. The second thing is just getting your legs in shape. … So, I would say the eyes first and then just the overall awareness of your hamstrings, back and being on the field.”

In other Pirates injury news:

• Tomczyk said catcher Jacob Stallings, who left Sunday’s game with the left quad contusion after being hit by a foul ball, is available to play, “per the manager’s discretion.”

Shelton said Stallings was available for Wednesday’s game at St. Louis but that he wanted to give backup Michael Perez a chance to have back-to-back starts so that he could get more at-bats.

• Tomczyk said corner infielder/outfielder Phillip Evans (hamstring) has initiated some ground-based running and is taking swings in the batting cage. First baseman Colin Moran (groin) is fielding ground balls, playing catch and swinging the bat but has not progressed to any high-speed ground-based running yet.

“I would say Phil is a little bit ahead of Colin in regards to running,” Tomczyk said, “but both are making nice strides in their rehab progressions.”

Tomczyk said Moran is days away from returning but first has to prove he is 100% ready to return to “fielding his position at multiple different angles, feeling comfortable with the agility movements and with his swing.”

• Right-handed reliever Kyle Crick threw a live batting practice Wednesday afternoon and is expected to play catch Thursday.

• Right-hander Chad Kuhl (shoulder) is projected to begin his major league rehab assignment with Indianapolis. Lefty reliever Austin Davis (elbow) also started a rehab assignment with Indianapolis.

• Right-hander Jose Soriano, a Rule 5 Draft pick who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, is in the final stages of preparing his rehab assignment and is expected to join Indianapolis in the next five days.

• Left-hander Steven Brault (lat strain) has started playing catch out to 60-70 feet in the past week and will continue to build up the volume of flat ground work in Bradenton.

• Center fielder Travis Swaggerty, the Pirates’ first-round pick in 2018, suffered a right shoulder injury with Triple-A Indianapolis and will be examined by team physicians in Pittsburgh later this week. Tomczyk said he expects Swaggerty to be out “longer than seven days.”

• Tomczyk said High-A Greensboro shortstop Liover Peguero, a top-five prospect who was part of the return from Arizona in the Starling Marte trade, is dealing with a limp from a right knee injury, so the Pirates are taking a slow approach with his recovery.

• Outfielder Jared Oliva (oblique), another top-20 prospect, has resumed hitting and throwing in Bradenton and is considered days away from returning to play for Indianapolis.