Ke'Bryan Hayes says cyst that developed on left hand forced Pirates to shut him down

Ke’Bryan Hayes blamed a cyst that developed in his left hand for causing the pain that forced a premature end to the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman’s rookie season.

Hayes said he plans to see a hand specialist when he returns home to Houston after the season ends but doesn’t expect it to require surgery. Hayes expects to do physical therapy on the cyst, which developed between the index and middle fingers on his left hand.

When Hayes told Pirates general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton that the pain was similar to what he felt when he suffered a left wrist injury that sidelined him for the first two months of the season, they weren’t willing to take any chances. They waited a day to see if the pain would subside, then shut down Hayes for the final five games of the season by placing him on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday.

“I guess whenever I first hurt it, they didn’t find the cyst,” Hayes said. “Just by looking at some stuff, I guess that comes from chronic injuries. Over time, they can form. Once I get home, I’m going to get with some doctors, just to see what the next steps are and probably get with an occupational PT (physical therapist), just to do some stuff while I’m not hitting those first two months, just to get it back healthy.”

Hayes said he felt pain shoot down his left wrist on a 2-1 changeup in his second at-bat of Monday’s 13-1 loss at the Cincinnati Reds, when he lined out to right field. Hayes hit into a double play in his third plate appearance, then experienced a sensation that was worrisome.

“In my last at-bat, I felt like a zing down my hand on my swing,” Hayes said. “From there, I didn’t want to swing anymore the rest of that at-bat. I just tried to walk. I ended up taking a fastball for a (called third) strike.”

Hayes played elite defense at third base but struggled at times at the plate, slashing .257/.316/.373 with 20 doubles, six home runs and 38 RBIs in 96 games this season.

“I usually don’t start swinging until the middle of November anyway so it’s only two or three weeks from my normal time when I start hitting,” Hayes said. “Once I get with my PT and stuff and see what limits I have from lifting, I’ll be back lifting within two or three weeks of when I get home. That’ll be my main focus when I get home, to get my PT and stuff like that and get back in the weight room and get my legs and all that back under me.”