Phillies Receive Positive Injury Update on Austin Hays at an Inopportune Moment
Another Philadelphia Phillies player has been sidelined with a hamstring injury, just as the team’s newest outfielder was beginning to hit his stride at the plate. This season has seen a familiar pattern for the Phillies: a player running the bases suddenly pulls up, clutching the back of their leg in pain.
The latest player to experience this is Austin Hays, who joined the team recently. During the third inning of Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Hays pulled up shortly after leaving the batter’s box, then cautiously made his way down the first base line before heading straight to the clubhouse.
Hays exited the game after feeling a “grab” in his hamstring. On Friday afternoon, the Phillies confirmed that Hays had suffered a hamstring strain and would be placed on the 10-day injured list.
Hays’ Injury: Good News at a Bad Time
The silver lining is that Hays doesn’t anticipate being out of action for long. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman, Hays shared that the MRI results showed only a mild strain.
“Getting the result of the MRI and it being very mild, it’s not going to take a long time to build back up,” Hays said before Friday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as reported by Seidman. “It’s really just rest it, let it calm down and in a few days, we’ll see how it feels. I’m not expecting this to be a month-long thing. I’m expecting it to be a short time.”
Hays is the fourth Phillies player to land on the injured list with a hamstring issue this season, following Trea Turner, Brandon Marsh, and Bryce Harper. Turner’s injury was the most severe, keeping him out for over six weeks. Marsh and Harper had shorter recoveries, despite initially appearing more serious.
The Phillies are treating Hays’ injury similarly to Marsh’s, which kept him out for 13 days in June.
Hays Was Finding His Rhythm with the Phillies
The unfortunate timing of the injury comes just as Hays was beginning to find his form at the plate for the Phillies. After taking over as the regular left fielder, the former Baltimore Oriole was displaying the skills that led the front office to trade Seranthony Domínguez and Cristian Pache for the 29-year-old outfielder.
Hays went 1-for-8 in his first two games with the Phillies but quickly improved. Over his next eight games, he hit .300/.323/.467, with a home run, two doubles, four runs scored, four RBIs, and a stolen base in 30 at-bats.
Before exiting the Dodgers series after one at-bat in the final game, Hays had gone 4-for-9.
With Hays beginning to stabilize the outfield and Nick Castellanos’ early season struggles fading, the Phillies were looking forward to a more consistent lineup. However, they will now have to wait a couple of weeks — hopefully, no longer — to see their outfield back at full strength.
