Pirates Place Ke’Bryan Hayes on IL, Select Billy McKinney

The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed Gold Glove third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes on the 10-day injured list with low back inflammation.

Hayes has been battling back issues over the past few seasons. Back in May, Hayes missed two weeks after being placed on the IL with a similar injury to this one.

Perhaps the back issues for Hayes explain his poor performance at the plate this season. In 66 games, Hayes has slashed a lowly .233/.283/.290 with nine doubles, four home runs and 25 RBIs. His .573 OPS is by far the lowest mark amongst qualified hitters.

Even with the nagging back issues, Hayes has still provided the Pirates with stellar defensive. The 27-year-old has amassed nine defensive runs saved and a .981 fielding percentage.

To take his place on the roster, the Pirates selected outfielder/first baseman Billy McKinney from Triple-A Indianapolis. McKinney was acquired by the Pirates from the Yankees for cash considerations in December, shortly after New York signed him as a minor-league free agent.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old has played well in 40 games this season with Indianapolis. He owned a .295/.396/.450 slash with five doubles, five home runs and 18 RBIs across 154 plate appearances. Defensively, he’s appeared in all three outfield spots and has played in nine games at first base.

Though this will be his first stint in the big leagues this season, McKinney has spent parts of the last six seasons at the major-league level with six different teams. In 311 career games, the left-handed hitter carries a .209/.284/.390 batting line with 36 doubles, five triples, 34 home runs and 86 RBIs. He posted a .726 OPS in 48 games with the Yankees last season.

Bullpen Swap

Additionally, the Pirates have recalled right-handed reliever Hunter Stratton from Indianapolis and designated fellow righty Ryder Ryan for assignment.

Stratton has made 34 appearances with the Pirates this season and has gone 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA and one save.

Ryan had a handful of different stints in the big leagues with Pittsburgh and totaled 15 appearances. He went 1-0 with a 5.66 ERA across 20.2 innings pitched.