The Philadelphia Phillies have placed outfielder Austin Hays on the 10-day injured list due to a kidney infection, a move that is retroactive to Monday.
Hays, who was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in a trade just before the MLB deadline in late July, is now sidelined with this health issue. This is his second stint on the injured list since joining Philadelphia. Previously, he was out for two weeks in August with a hamstring strain.
At 29 years old, Hays has played 19 games with the Phillies, hitting .254 during this period. In that time, he has contributed one home run, five doubles, and five RBIs. Over the entire season, combining his time with both the Orioles and the Phillies, Hays has a .254 batting average with four home runs, 18 doubles, and 19 RBIs across 82 games.
Hays, who was an All-Star in 2023, boasts a career batting average of .261 with 67 home runs and 247 RBIs accumulated over 576 games with Baltimore from 2017 and 2019-2024, along with his recent stint with Philadelphia.
To fill Hays’ spot on the 28-man roster, the Phillies have called up outfielder Cal Stevenson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Stevenson had a brief stint with the Phillies earlier this season, playing seven games in August, where he had two hits in ten at-bats and drove in one run.
The Phillies are set to begin a four-game road series against the Miami Marlins on Thursday, and the team will need to adapt to Hays’ absence as they continue their push for the playoffs.
In other MLB news, the New York Mets have activated designated hitter J.D. Martinez from the paternity list. Martinez missed the Mets’ recent three-game series against the Boston Red Sox. In a corresponding move, the Mets have optioned outfielder DJ Stewart to Triple-A Syracuse and have claimed outfielder Jose Azocar off waivers from the San Diego Padres, assigning him to Syracuse. Additionally, right-hander Sean Reid-Foley, who has been dealing with a right shoulder impingement, has been moved to the 60-day injured list.
In his first season with the Mets, the 37-year-old Martinez has a batting average of .252, with 16 home runs and 65 RBIs over 105 games. Stewart, who was batting .175 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 72 games, has been sent down to Triple-A, while Azocar, who hit .219 with two RBIs in 61 games for San Diego, joins the Mets organization. Reid-Foley, who hasn’t pitched since June 19, has been struggling with shoulder issues, and his extended stay on the injured list reflects the severity of his condition.