Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton had a lengthy conversation with Ke’Bryan Hayes about how to better channel his frustration after the rookie third baseman injured his right hand.
Hayes missed his second consecutive start at the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night with what Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk called a “right hand contusion.” Shelton said Hayes took ground balls and threw “a little bit” before the game but remains day to day. Tomczyk said the Pirates will allow the inflammation to go down before Hayes starts swinging a bat. Shelton credited Hayes for being “very truthful” about the injury.
“From the way it was presented to me, he was extremely remorseful and realized that he made a mistake,” Shelton said. “That was part of our conversation, part of the conversation was definitely some embarrassment on his end. The one thing that we talked about is that realizing that frustration and talking things out is OK, physically doing it is not OK because not only does it affect you but it affects other people.
“Key’s a young player. He made a mistake.”
Hayes told MLB.com that after being called out on strikes in the sixth inning, he banged his batting helmet in frustration and caused a blister.
“By the time I went out on defense, (my hand) was kind of swollen and I had noticed a little dot there,” said Hayes, who spent 60 days on the injured list early this season with a left hand/wrist injury. “I missed two months already this year, so I’ve just got to be a lot smarter than that. It’s not fair to my teammates, the manager making the lineup and all that kind of stuff. I’ve just got to be smarter with that, especially with all of the time that I missed this year.”
More injury news
Tomczyk said infielder/outfielder Michael Chavis, who was placed on the 10-day IL with a right elbow sprain, will require five to seven days of rest before he starts any gripping or throwing activities but added team doctors are “encouraged” he will return this season.
Tomczyk also addressed the status of two starting pitchers on the 10-day IL. Right-hander JT Brubaker (right hand contusion) threw a second side session Wednesday and “is making nice strides,” Tomcyzk said, and lefty Dillon Peters (lumbar back strain) has resumed playing catch out to 90 feet on flat ground and is “trending in the right direction.”
Taking the taxi
With MLB rosters expanding from 26 players to 28 in September, the Pirates added two right-handed pitchers Wednesday by activating Max Kranick and Shelby Miller off the taxi squad.
Kranick (1-2, 7.20 ERA) got the starting nod for the Pirates against the White Sox. Shelton bumped right-hander Mitch Keller back a day, so he will start Thursday night against the Chicago Cubs.
Shelton said Miller, who was 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 10 games at Triple-A Indianapolis, will pitch exclusively out of the bullpen. Miller, 30, was a 2015 All-Star who has pitched for the Cardinals, Braves, Diamondbacks, Rangers and Cubs before signing a minor-league deal with the Pirates on June 26.
“No. 1, we like what he did in Indy,” Shelton said. “We wanted a chance to get a look at him, felt he deserved an opportunity up here.”
New-look lineup
Shelton shuffled the lineup for Wednesday’s game, starting Cole Tucker in right field and hitting leadoff despite a .111 batting average because he is a switch hitter on a team laden with left-handed bats.
After starting at third base Tuesday, Wilmer Difo played second base. Hoy Park moved from second base to third, his debut at another new position after playing second, shortstop and all three outfield spots.
“I think it’s definitely a challenge. Third base is a challenge,” Shelton said. “One of the things we’ve talked about with Hoy, moving forward, is trying to continue to develop that versatility. We developed it in the outfield — he’s played all three spots — just another place we’re going to add to his tool bag.”
