Back adjustment helps Ke'Bryan Hayes get back into swing for Pirates

Ke’Bryan Hayes took a detour on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ return trip from Milwaukee, using an off day to return to his hometown of Houston to visit family, check on the status of the house he’s building and get an adjustment.

On his back, not his swing.

Hayes squeezed in a checkup with his chiropractor to correct his alignment. It’s no wonder his bothersome back is feeling “a lot better” and that Hayes is hitting his best this season.

That’s evident with the way he’s swinging the bat. Hayes went 3 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs on Sunday in the 12-1 win over the New York Mets, his first three-hit game of the season, and had a two-run single in the six-run fifth inning of a 7-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night at PNC Park.

“Just at the plate, I’ve been able to just kind of not think about my body and mechanics,” Hayes said. “Really, this past series, just thinking about getting a pitch to hit over the middle of the plate. Just feeling free and not having to worry about that. Hopefully, I can keep it going.”

Entering Tuesday, Hayes was riding a nine-game hitting streak in which he’s batting .424 (14 for 33) with three doubles, 10 RBIs and eight runs scored since the second game of a doubleheader June 19 at Detroit. Hayes has four multi-hit games in that span, including three straight against the Mets over the weekend, and raised his batting average from .223 to .246.

With two outs and two on in the first inning Sunday, Hayes hit a two-run single to center to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Oneil Cruz followed with a two-run homer, and Tommy Pham hit a solo shot for back-to-back homers as the Pirates scored five runs. Hayes added a pair of doubles in the fifth and seventh innings, scoring both times.

“I got ahead of the count, chased a slider, but I mean, he was, for the most part, throwing two pitches, so I didn’t really panic over it,” Hayes said of Mets starter Frankie Montas. “He landed another strike, but just in my mind, I’m like, ‘All right.’ My job is to put something in play, and I was able to put it in play and get the two runs and start the game.”

The 2023 NL Gold Glove winner, Hayes remains elite defensively, leading all third basemen with 10 defensive runs saved and, per Statcast, ranks in the 99th percentile of all defenders with 11 outs above average. But his bat had been lagging behind, as he had a .562 OPS on June 17.

“His game recently has been really, really good,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “I think going back to the offseason and what he went through, the work that he put in with his back, the routine that he got on, how diligent he’s been throughout the season to maintain that and keep himself in a position to play every day. He’s adjusting back now and getting in a little groove at the plate. He’s doing a tremendous job.

“We see the defense for him. There have been times he hasn’t swung the bat the way that he knows he can, but it has no effect. He’s out there killing it on defense every single day working hard. Really happy for him seeing the swing come around and having the success at the plate.”

What has impressed Kelly is how Hayes prepares behind the scenes, following a daily regimen of stretching and strengthening exercises to put his back in position to play on a regular basis. He has played in 78 of the Pirates’ first 86 games, which ranks second only to Bryan Reynolds.

“I don’t think you’re going to notice anything out there while he’s playing,” Kelly said, “but the stuff he does behind the scenes and the process he goes through is intense.”

It remains an issue for Hayes, whose focus is on his improving his bat as much as his back. Right now, both are working in harmony for Hayes.

“I think it’s something he learned to do from last year,” Kelly said. “Dealing with back stuff is not fun. The way that he was able to come up with a routine throughout the offseason, the process continues to evolve, based on how his body feels. He’s continuing to figure that out, as far as posture and manipulation goes, to be able to stay on top of it, which is not easy to do.”