Hays went 3-for-4 with two doubles, one RBI and one run scored in Friday's 3-2 win over the Athletics.
Hays celebrated his 29th birthday with a strong game. The outfielder's playing time has been inconsistent, but he gets regular looks versus left-handed pitchers. He's slashing .365/.411/.538 off southpaws this year compared to .190/.261/.329 against righties, so it's likely Hays remains in a short-side platoon role. He'll be rewarded for his strong game Friday by sticking in the lineup Saturday as the left fielder versus right-hander Luis Medina.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Rejoining lineup Sunday
Rotowire
Hays (knee) is starting in left field and batting fifth Sunday against the Rangers, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Hays hasn't been in the lineup since Tuesday while battling knee soreness, but he may have been on the bench the past few days regardless of the injury since Baltimore faced four straight right-handed starters. The 28-year-old will return to the starting nine Sunday as lefty Andrew Heaney takes the mound for Texas.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Dealing with knee soreness
Rotowire
Hays is dealing with swelling and soreness in his knee, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Hays jammed his knee while making a play in the outfield Tuesday and hasn't appeared in a game since. He could be available off the bench Saturday, but there's a chance the Orioles wait until his knee has fully recovered before putting him back in a game.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Goes deep in win
Rotowire
Hays went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's 17-5 win over the Yankees.
Hays has gone 9-for-24 (.375) over his last nine games, though he also has a 1:7 BB:K in that span. The outfielder has had to settle for a short-side platoon role in left field recently, sharing the position with Colton Cowser. For the year, Hays has a .239/.298/.381 slash line with three homers, 12 RBI, 14 runs scored, seven doubles and no stolen bases over 45 contests.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: On bench again Sunday
Rotowire
Hays is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies.
Cedric Mullins appears to have taken back a regular spot in the Baltimore outfield from Hays, who has now sat in each of the Orioles' last three matchups with right-handed starting pitchers. Hays should continue to replace either Mullins or Colton Cowser in the lineup when the Orioles face lefties.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Day off Saturday
Rotowire
Hays is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Phillies, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Hays will get a breather after he went 1-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout in the team's 5-3 loss in extras in the series opener Friday. Colton Cowser will slide over to left field while Cedric Mullins enters the lineup in center field and bats seventh versus Philadelphia.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Hitting bench Thursday
Rotowire
Hays is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against Atlanta.
Hays went 4-for-8 with a double, an RBI and a run while starting in left field in the first two games of the series in Atlanta, but he'll take a seat for the finale. With Hays on the bench, the Orioles will roll out an outfield of Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander from left to right.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Three hits in return to lineup
Rotowire
Hays went 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored in Tuesday's 4-0 win over Atlanta.
Hays hadn't started since Thursday after getting plunked in the ribs during that day's game. He had half of the Orioles' hits in his return to the starting lineup, and he played the full game in left field, so it appears he's 100 percent after short absence. The outfielder has gone 14-for-40 (.350) over his last 15 contests with six extra-base hits and six RBI in that span. His cold start to the year is still evident in his .234/.291/.362 slash line through 103 plate appearances, but Hays could reclaim a near-everyday role if he keeps hitting well. He's added two home runs, 10 RBI, 11 runs scored and no stolen bases over 38 games.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Back in lineup Tuesday
Rotowire
Hays (ribs/back) will start in left field and bat fifth in Tuesday's game versus Atlanta.
It's Hays' first start since he was hit in the ribs by a pitch Thursday, although he did make one appearance off the bench since then. With Hays back in the lineup, Colton Cowser will slide over to center field and Cedric Mullins will be parked on the bench.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Still out Monday
Rotowire
Hays (ribs/back) remains out of the lineup for Monday's game in Tampa Bay.
Hays hasn't made a start since he required X-rays after getting hit by a pitch in the left side of his ribs in the ninth inning of Thursday's loss to the Blue Jays. He did enter mid-game Saturday versus the Rays and doubled, and the hope is that he will be available off the bench again Monday.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Not starting Sunday
Rotowire
Hays (ribs) is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay.
Sunday marks the third straight game Hays will not start after being hit by a pitch in the ribs Thursday against Toronto. Hays did enter Saturday's 5-0 win for Ryan O'Hearn in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the former hit a double in the top of the ninth. Colton Cowser will shift to left field Sunday, while Cedric Mullins gets the start in center field against Rays right-hander Zack Littell.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Sitting again Saturday
Rotowire
Hays (ribs) is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Rays.
Hays will sit for a second straight game after being hit by a pitch in the ribs Thursday against Toronto. The lefty-hitting Kyle Stowers will start in left field Saturday and bat seventh against Rays right-hander Taj Bradley.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: X-rays return negative
Rotowire
Hays (ribs) had X-rays come back negative, but he is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Rays, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sunreports.
Hays was hit by a pitch in the ribs Thursday and will be out of the lineup for at least one game as he deals with some bruising. It's possible he'll be available off the bench Friday. Colton Cowser will move to left field while Cedric Mullins starts in center and bats eighth.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Getting ribs checked out
Rotowire
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that Hays is being examined after being hit the ribs by a pitch during Thursday's game versus the Blue Jays, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
He was drilled in the left ribcage by a Yimi Garcia pitch in the top of the ninth inning. Hayes remained in the game to run the bases but was clearly in a lot of pain, so the Orioles wanted to get him checked out to make sure he didn't suffer any fractures. Aside from the hit by pitch, Hays struck out in his other three plate appearances Thursday.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
Hays is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game in Toronto.
Hays went 3-for-7 with two home runs and a double in the first two games of the series, but he'll be given a breather for Wednesday's contest. Kyle Stowers will take over as the Orioles' starting left fielder.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Slugs two homers
Rotowire
Hays went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three total RBI in Monday's win over Toronto.
After coming into the night without a home run over his first 86 plate appearances of the season, Hays left the yard twice for the sixth multi-homer game of his career. The 28-year-old slugged both blasts off Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, launching a two-run shot in the fourth inning and a solo home run in the seventh. Hays has seen inconsistent playing time over the past two weeks but is starting to heat up, batting 5-for-9 with three extra-base hits over his past three games.
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Orioles' Austin Hays: Not in Monday's lineup
Rotowire
Hays is absent from the lineup for Monday's contest against the Red Sox.
Hays appears to be over his lingering left calf injury, but he's now started just three of the last seven games for the Orioles. Colton Cowser will be in left field while Cedric Mullins plays center.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said after Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Blue Jays that Hays is still dealing with lingering effects from his left calf injury, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Hays was just activated from the 10-day injured list Monday following a three-week absence and evidently is still not feeling 100 percent. He delivered a pinch-hit double off the bench Wednesday but was immediately lifted for a pinch hitter. Despite Hays seemingly not being 100 percent healthy, a return to the IL doesn't seem to be in the cards. According to Danielle Allentuck of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, Hyde is hopeful that Hays will be able to start Friday's game against the Mariners, though he could be deployed at designated hitter rather than in the outfield.
