Cincinnati Reds Facing Tough Decisions as Ke’Bryan Hayes’ Offensive Woes Persist

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes is off to a major struggle in the 2026 season, and it felt like it came to a breaking point Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Hayes went 0 for 4, grounding into two double plays. He is 3 for 17 over his last five games and has not recorded a hit in the past three games.

Hayes was not brought to Cincinnati at the 2025 trade deadline to take the cover off the ball. He is one of the best defensive infielders in MLB and has consistently provided elite defense at the hot corner for the Reds, but his struggles at the plate are making it increasingly difficult for Terry Francona to pencil him into the lineup on a daily basis.

Reds play-by-play broadcaster John Sadak expressed frustration with Hayes after he grounded into a double play on a 2-1 count Tuesday night.

“Another double play,” Sadak said. “He has tied the team lead, that’s now five giddy-ups for Hayes. He entered hitting .147. He’s getting on base at a .200 rate. The numbers are what they are, man, you’re 100 at-bats into the year.”

This came nine days after Sadak’s color commentator, Barry Larkin, went on a diatribe about the Reds possibly making a change at third base to get more offensive support.

“It’s very competitive at this level, and I don’t know if you can be a team like the Reds that have had the troubles they’ve had offensively and continue to run a guy out there that has not hit better than .130. … There are players in the minor leagues who are tearing it up. Is this team going to make a move to get those guys up here to put them in this lineup?”

Cincinnati does have options if it wants to go in another direction. Eugenio Suarez is making his first rehab start on Wednesday and would be a strong candidate to become the full-time third baseman despite primarily serving as a designated hitter over the past few seasons.

Minor leaguer Cam Collier just turned 21 and is in his fifth professional season after being selected in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He has been touted as the Reds’ top all-around offensive prospect, especially after Sal Stewart’s promotion to the majors last season. However, he is hitting .240 with a .328 on-base percentage, while showing decent power numbers with 11 doubles and five home runs in 150 at-bats.

Other third-base candidates include shortstop Edwin Arroyo, who is hitting .345 with a .409 on-base percentage, nine home runs, 21 extra-base hits, and 30 RBIs. He is thought to be one of the best prospects in the Reds' farm system as an athletic, switch-hitter who can play multiple infield positions at a high level. Spencer Steer, who has been hot at the plate over the past month, also could make starts at the hot corner and has played third base for the Reds in the past. 

Earlier in the season, the Reds were getting enough offense from players such as Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz to overshadow Hayes’ inability to provide consistent production at the plate. However, as the team has struggled offensively, Hayes’ disappointing numbers have been magnified in recent weeks.

It is hard to believe the Reds’ decision-makers will continue to deploy one of the worst hitters in Major League Baseball on a consistent basis, no matter how talented he is defensively. It is starting to become clear that the investment and gamble the Reds front office took on Hayes, betting he’d improve at the plate, did not pan out.