With no specific return date in mind, Pirates Ke'Bryan Hayes, Oneil Cruz continue to rehab injuries

The left side of the Pittsburgh Pirates infield that started the season – third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes and shortstop Oneil Cruz – continue their recovery from serious injuries, but there is no specific timetable for either player’s return to the lineup.

Hayes (lower back inflammation) played one game Tuesday in Triple-A Indianapolis during his ongoing rehab assignment. He was 0 for 2 with a walk and run scored.

After that, the franchise’s medical performance team decided “to take a little step back (with Hayes’ rehab),” Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Friday.

Tomczyk said Hayes’ current situation is different from the two days in Los Angeles when Hayes came off the injured list July 6 and was returned to it a day later.

“Two different scenarios,” Tomczyk said, “in the aspect of this was the medical performance team’s decision versus (Hayes) was the one who expressed he was unable to play in Los Angeles. Precaution, to make sure we don’t have happen what happened in Los Angeles.

“It was determined … after that game (Tuesday in Indianapolis) to take a little step back and make sure his body is in full alignment and that he is recovered. Since then, he has completed two full work days with the Indianapolis club. He’s feeling in a good spot. We’re going to talk to him (Friday) to see what the next steps are to, potentially, get back into game activities.

Tomczyk said Hayes is making “nice progress,” but he was not in the Indianapolis lineup Friday night.

During his conversations with reporters Friday, Tomczyk was asked if Hayes’ injury could be an issue in future seasons. “Hopefully, not,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to corroborate with both internally and externally with (Hayes), some people he trusts inside the industry, outside the industry.

“The goal is for this not to bother him long-term, but to stand here right now and say it won’t is too premature. But we will continue to emphasize and work on ways to avoid that.”

Tomczyk called the injury a “malalignment.”

“When the hips and the back become out of line, that just affects numerous things up and down the kinetic chain to a point where he’s unable to compete.”

Asked about Cruz, who fractured his left ankle in April, Tomczyk expressed confidence he will play this year. But he did not specify a return date or whether he meant with the Pirates or on a minor-league rehab assignment.

“For me, right now, as we’re standing here, I think (my confidence) is very high that he will play baseball this year,” he said. “What’s most important is that he’s making progress.”

Tomczyk expressed “very high confidence that we’ll get him back to the baseline of Oneil Cruz that he can go out there and compete. But we don’t, ideally, want a setback by any stretch of the imagination. We’re going as fast as this injury will allow us.

“From a rehab, medical perspective, we would like for him to return to competition, so from a psychological standpoint that he finished (the season) with some good momentum and he finished playing. But there are probably other schools of thought that, ‘Hey, let’s make sure we’re right so we’re rarin’ to go for 2024.’ ”

Tomczyk said Cruz is taking overhand and underhand toss flips, moving laterally for groundballs and playing catch out to 120, 150 feet without setbacks.

Tomczyk said Tucupita Marcano is meeting with team doctors Friday to discuss next steps toward his recovery from a knee ligament injury suffered Monday in San Diego. Surgery is possible, Tomczyk said. Marcano was placed on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.

Also, Ji Hwan Bae (ankle sprain) is projected to begin a rehab assignment early next week in Indianapolis.