​CINCINNATI (AP) — The Reds activated third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from the injured list ahead of Friday night’s game against the Chicago Cubs, while placing Matt McLain on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain retroactive to July 8. Hayes had missed 42 games due to a bulging disc in the lower back. Traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates around the trade deadline last year, Hayes previously captured his second NL Gold Glove. This season, however, he has struggled at the plate, hitting .142 with two home runs and five RBIs over 42 games. Hayes hopes that the work he has done in Arizona to rebuild his swing will pay dividends for the remainder of the year. “I’ve never really been a drill guy, but I think those have helped with kind of rewiring the brain to help my body move a certain way, because once you swing for a month, two months, three months, a certain way, it’s hard to just flip a switch and change those movement patterns,” he explained.
With McLain out and TJ Friedl still dealing with the aftereffects of colliding with the wall while making a catch on Wednesday, Spencer Steer made his first major-league appearance in center field in the series opener. Manager Terry Francona noted that he had discussed the option with Steer on Thursday. “The more I talked to him, he said, ‘I can do it.’ I don’t want to put guys in a position where it’s unfair to them or something like that. But I think the more we talked about it, he got really excited,” Francona said. “He’s not going to be the go-getter out there. That’s unfair, but I bet he makes the plays he’s supposed to make.”
As the team navigates injuries, the outfield configuration continues to evolve. Steer’s first foray into center came under the spotlight as the Reds searched for reliable alternatives in the wake of McLain’s IL stint and Friedl’s lingering soreness. The strategic move reflects the coaching staff’s willingness to experiment to keep the lineup functional while key players are sidelined. Hayes’s return adds depth to a lineup that has been trying to find its rhythm after the midseason disruption. The combination of Hayes’s veteran defense and Steer’s versatility could provide the Reds with more stability as they evaluate the best ways to deploy their resources in the coming weeks.