KeBryan Hayes Due Back Thursday With Roster Moves to Come
Coming into the 2021 season, one of the biggest things to watch on this Pirates team was the emergence of rookie third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes. With this in mind, fans were pretty disappointed when the young third baseman went down on April 2nd with a wrist strain that has kept him out two months of the season. There was hope he would be back in the beginning of May, but a setback pushed him to the 60-day IL, making him ineligible to return to the lineup until June 3rd. Hayes has played in just two games, five at-bats, this season and is hitting .200 with one home run and two RBI. The Pirates have been missing his bat in the top third of the lineup and desperately need a spark for their light-hitting offense.
Well, the next time the Pirates play at home is tomorrow, June 3rd, and with them will be Hayes ready to make his 2021 home debut. As Hayes prepares for his return, the Pirates are also preparing with a big roster move decision looming. We have seen the Pirates be forced to move and designate people for assignment a lot this season, and it may come down to that again this time around. Ildemaro Vargas was the latest DFA victim and the Pirates might be forces to make another DFA. However, there are other routes they could go to make room for Hayes with some players on the hot seat at the Major League level. Today, we look at the possible moves the Pirates might make to activate Hayes and how that affects the Pirates roster.
Send Down Cole Tucker
The easiest roster move for the Pirates to make upon Hayes's return, and probably the most likely, would be to send down Cole Tucker. Tucker has struggled in his first 14 at-bats this season, spanning six games, as he has hit .143 with an RBI. Out of Spring Training, Tucker was sent to Pirate City to work on his offensive game. However, in the early going, Tucker has not shown the fruits of that work. He hasn't been given as many opportunities as we thought he would after being called up, but he just hasn't looked comfortable at the plate. The Pirates currently have only four active infielders on their roster, with Wilmer Difo being listed as an outfielder, so the necessity for Tucker was there.
Now that Hayes is coming back, Tucker has no spot left in the infield and will be a likely casualty. If he was able to hit the ball consistently, you could make the argument to keep him in the Big Leagues. However, he isn't hitting and he has also had his share of defensive troubles as well with an error already committed in 28.1 innings of defensive play. After being a first-round pick in 2014, Tucker has been praised for his defensive ability up and down the Minor League system. However, the bat just hasn't been able to keep up with him and has caused him to bounce between the Majors and the Minor Leagues. If Tucker could just figure out how to hit consistently, he could have an everyday spot with the Pirates.
Ka'ai Tom To The IL
One thing that could save Cole Tucker from a demotion to Triple-A is the status of Ka'ai Tom. After just coming off of the Injured List with a wrist injury, Tom once again got hit in the wrist on Tuesday night. He took a fastball off of his left wrist and ended up leaving the game with left wrist discomfort. Tom was in the midst of a battle with Ben Gamel for the starting left fielder job, and was trying to get his bat going. After starting the season hitting .069 with the Oakland Athletics in 16 at-bats, he was claimed off waivers by the Pirates at the end of April. Since being claimed, Tom has upped his game, hitting .204 with two home runs and nine RBI in a Pirates uniform.
As a Rule 5 Guy, Tom would have to stay on the Pirates roster all season to be kept, but injuries have kept him away. If the wrist injury is too bad, Tom could be making his second trip to the IL this season, allowing the Pirates to move him off the active roster while still keeping him. This would be another easy move for the Pirates to make, and wouldn't really affect the dynamic of the team right now. Hayes would simply slide back into his third base position, and Erik Gonzalez can go back to being a utility player who can play both infield and outfield. Hopefully, for Tom's sake, the injury isn't too bad, but it could also open a clear path and a clear decision for the Pirates to bring Hayes back to the active roster.
Ben Gamel DFA'd
The final move I could see the Pirates make to bring Hayes back would be to Designate Ben Gamel for assignment. Gamel has been another guy fighting for a starting job, and he has come up with some big hits for the Pirates. In 17 games with Pittsburgh, Gamel has hit .213 with three RBI as he tried to revitalize his career with a familiar NL Central team. Gamel is a nice veteran presence for the Pirates, and while his bat is still getting hot, he is a guy who has strong defensive skills and can play all three outfield positions. He has some pop in his bat, although he has yet to show it with the Pirates, and has been a spark plug to the top of the lineup.
As a number two hitter this season, Gamel is batting .417 with two of his three RBI in 17 at-bats. Now personally, I would not be a fan of this move because the Pirates just picked him up and the team desperately needs outfielders. Gamel would serve as a nice fourth outfielder for this team, backing up at all three positions for Tom, Reynolds, and Polanco. While he is no Wilmer Difo off the bench, Gamel does have experience pinch-hitting experience. He does not yet have a pinch-hit this season, and in 2019, the last time he was a consistent pinch hitter, he hit just .194 in the role. Gamel has the defensive skills to be a solid fourth outfielder, but now he is looking to add another tool as a strong pinch hitter for the team to save him from being DFA'd.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (20-33) are off today, but return home Thursday night when they start a four-game series with the Miami Marlins (24-29). Tyler Anderson (3-5, 4.63) takes the hill looking to get back to his consistency at the beginning of the year, while Miami has yet to name their starter. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet, listen on 93.7 The Fan, or follow along with us on Twitter by following @Buccos_Cove.
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