Reds Activate Ke'Bryan Hayes, Place Matt McLain on Injured List

The Cincinnati Reds activated third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes from the injured list before their July 10 game against the Chicago Cubs. The team placed infielder Matt McLain on the 10-day injured list due to a left calf strain, with the move retroactive to July 8. Hayes had missed 42 games with a bulging disc in his lower back.

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates near the 2025 trade deadline, he won his second NL Gold Glove. 142 with two home runs and five RBIs in 42 games during the 2026 season. Hayes performed work in Arizona to rebuild his swing.

"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 said.

With McLain sidelined and TJ Friedl still recovering after crashing into the wall while making a catch on July 8, Spencer Steer started in center field for the first time in the major leagues. Manager Terry Francona approached Steer about the position on July 9.

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.