Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays hit a two-run home run in Thursday's 11-7 loss to the Mariners. This was his second home run in just his third game of the season after being activated from the injured list on Tuesday. This is a great start in his new home after he disappointed in 2024 in a season split between the Orioles and Phillies. He was a solid player in 2023, slashing .275/.325/.444 with 16 home runs in a home park that was very tough against right-handed hitters. He could be in for a nice rebound year in Great American Ballpark and is worth an add in five-outfielder leagues if you need help at the position.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays turned in a big game in an 8-4 win over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday. In his debut with the Reds, Hays went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI to help spark Cincinnati to the win over Seattle. Hays strained his left calf during Spring Training and had spent all of the early portion of the regular season on the injured list before getting activated ahead of Tuesday's game. He made a good first impression as he blasted a three-run homer off Seattle starter Luis M. Castillo in the fifth inning. Hays is worth monitoring in fantasy moving forward.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays (calf) was activated from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and is serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth against the visiting Seattle Mariners and right-hander Luis Castillo at Great American Ball Park. Outfielder Jacob Hurtubise was optioned to Triple-A Louisville in a corresponding move. Hays is recovered from a strained calf and will be making his season debut on Tuesday against the M's. The 29-year-old is expected to see regular playing time for the Reds in left field now that he's back, giving him fantasy appeal in deep-mixed leagues. An All-Star in 2023 with the Baltimore Orioles, Hays battled injury last year with the Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies and finished with a .255/.303/.396 slash line, five home runs and 20 RBI in 85 total games played. Hays is hitless in two career at-bats against Castillo with one RBI.

According to Charles Goldsmith of Cincinnati Magazine, manager Terry Francona hopes Reds outfielder Austin Hays (calf) will be back on Tuesday and that they'll evaluate him after he plays on Monday. Hays has played three games in Triple-A Louisville thus far after tweaking his calf in spring training. In those three games, he's had 10 plate appearances and has gone 2-for-9 with one home run and two RBI. Last year, Hays spent time with the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies and slashed .255/.303/.396 with five home runs. It will be interesting to see where he fits into the Reds lineup because when he was healthy in 2022 and 2023, Hays hit 32 home runs in those two seasons combined. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues should consider taking a flyer on him to see how it plays out.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays (calf) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Thursday. Hays has been sidelined through the first two weeks of the regular season due to a low-grade calf strain. Fantasy managers should monitor his status with Louisville as he could be cleared for action as soon as next week. Hays inked a one-year, $5 million contract with the Reds earlier in the winter. He enjoyed a productive spring training, and several reports projected him to open the season as the team's leadoff hitter. Last summer, the 29-year-old logged 85 games split between the Orioles and the Phillies and held a cumulative .255/.303/.396 slash line with five round-trippers. When healthy, he is worth a look in five outfielder leagues, especially if he bats in the top half of the lineup.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays (calf) was placed on the 10-day injured list with a calf injury. Hays was held out of the starting lineup on Tuesday due to this injury and will now miss the start of the regular season. Hays signed a one-year contract with the Reds during the offseason. Last summer, the 29-year-old posted a .255/.303/.396 slash line split between time with the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies. He generated a modest .234 xBA with a low 3.5 percent walk rate. When healthy, Hays was expected to be the primary left fielder and was even projected to bat in the cleanup spot. However, while sidelined fantasy managers should expect Blake Dunn or Gavin Lux to have an increased role in left field.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Austin Hays (calf), who was expected to be in the team's starting lineup while batting cleanup on Tuesday for an exhibition game against minor-leaguers, was absent due to a calf injury, according to the team's radio broadcast. It's unknown if the injury will keep him out for Opening Day on Thursday against the San Francisco Giants. Hays went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI in the team's final Cactus League game on Sunday and also hit .310 during spring training. It's unclear when he my have picked up the injury, but with Spencer Steer (shoulder) opening on the injured list, Hays should see plenty of playing time in left field for the Reds to open the year as long as he's healthy. The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal for $5 million with Cincy in the offseason. Hays spent time on the injured list last year with Baltimore due to a strained left calf, so this injury will be worth watching.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports that the Cincinnati Reds agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal on Tuesday with free-agent outfielder Austin Hays, according to a source briefed on the discussions. The deal is pending a physical and includes $1 million in incentives. The former third-rounder of the Baltimore Orioles in 2016 out of Jacksonville University was in a platoon role with the O's in 2024 before being dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies. The 29-year-old struggled in his time with Philly and also dealt with a kidney infection last September. It could help explain why Hays hit only .255/.303/.396 with just five home runs in 85 combined games with the Phils and O's after he was a first-time All-Star in 2023. He hit .256 with a .672 OPS in 22 games for Philly, but he was an above-average offensive player before last season. The Reds will be hoping he can rebound and at least fill the short side of an outfield platoon against left-handed pitching.

Outfielder Austin Hays was informed that he was non-tendered on Friday by the Philadelphia Phillies, making him a free agent. It was a tough year for Hays, who battled a kidney infection after being dealt to the Phillies from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline in the summer. The 29-year-old should attract plenty of interest on the open market this offseason, as he's just a year removed from being an All-Star and Gold Glove finalist. The former third-round pick of the O's in 2016 out of Jacksonville University hit a combined .255/.303/.396 with a below-average .699 OPS, only five home runs, 20 RBI, two steals and 26 runs scored in 85 games with Baltimore and Philly. With better health in 2025, Hays could most certainly carve out a starting role with another team if he lands in the right situation.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays is not in the team's starting lineup for Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday versus the division-rival New York Mets at Citi Field. With Hays on the bench in this must-win game for the Phillies, Weston Wilson will get the nod in left field and will bat out of the eight-hole against Mets left-hander Jose Quintana. Wilson should probably be avoided in DFS lineups down in the eight-hole, especially since he's gone hitless with two strikeouts in six career at-bats versus the veteran southpaw Quintana. Hays will retreat to the bench after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the Game 3 loss on Tuesday. Wilson, 30, hit a nice .284 (25-for-88) during the regular season, but it came with only three long balls, 10 RBI and three steals. He didn't see a plate appearance in the first three games of the series.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays (back) is dealing with a sore back, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Hays has started in each of the past three games but will take a seat on Saturday afternoon out of precaution. Fantasy managers need to monitor the Philadelphia starting nine on Sunday, as Hays may be given an additional day to rest before the playoffs begin next week. As a result, Weston Wilson will cover left field and bat in the eight-hole on Saturday. Since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline, Hays has held a .256/.275/.397 slash line with five doubles and two home runs. Wilson should be avoided in DFS this afternoon while facing Washington ace MacKenzie Gore.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays (kidney) has been activated off the 10-day injured list on Tuesday. This was expected to happen after Hays missed about a month of action due to a kidney infection. He'll cover left field and bat sixth against left-hander Justin Steele on Tuesday. Hays has been on a tear at the plate against left-handed pitching this season. He's hitting .350 with one home run and eight RBI across 48 games versus the southpaw. That being said, Hays is looking like a viable fantasy option for Tuesday's slate.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays (kidney) is expected to be activated off the 10-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's game against the Chicago Cubs. It appears Hays is almost ready to play after missing nearly a month of action due to a kidney infection. He'll rest on Monday after playing in rehab contests over the weekend. Hays is hitting .254 with one home run and five RBI over 19 games since being traded to the Phillies at the trade deadline. Fantasy managers should be able to get him back in their lineups on Tuesday.

The Philadelphia Phillies placed outfielder Austin Hays (kidney) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Sept. 2) with a kidney infection on Thursday and recalled outfielder Cal Stevenson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move. This explains why Hays had been losing playing time of late in Philly's outfield. Brandon Marsh is in left field on Thursday, with Johan Rojas in center field, but Weston Wilson should also see more playing time moving forward when the team faces a left-handed pitcher. Given the nature of Hays' injury, it wouldn't be a surprise if he's required to miss beyond 10 days, putting his availability for the rest of the regular season in question. The 29-year-old hasn't really moved the fantasy needle all year with the Phils and Orioles, slashing .254/.305/.388 with a below-average .693 OPS, four home runs and 19 RBI in 224 at-bats.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays finds himself on the bench once again in Wednesday's series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. It's the second game in a row that Hays will start on the bench, with Weston Wilson starting in right field and batting eighth against Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis, who has been nearly unhittable in his last two starts. The 29-year-old Hays has become a part-time player in the outfield for the Phillies since being acquired at the trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles. In his 19 games for the Phils, he's gone 17-for-67 (.254) with a homer, five doubles, five RBI and 16 strikeouts. Wilson has been much better for the team in 55 at-bats in 2024, slashing .345/.383/.618 with a 1.002 OPS but only three homers and seven RBI.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays will start on the bench for Friday's showdown against the division-rival Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. With Hays on the bench, Brandon Marsh will occupy left field and will hit seventh, while Johan Rojas draws into the lineup in center field and will bat ninth against Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez. Marsh is hitting .125 in eight career at-bats against Lopez, while Rojas hasn't recorded a hit against Lopez in his five at-bats. Since returning from a hamstring strain on Aug. 23, Hays has gone 5-for-21 (.238) with two doubles, an RBI and five strikeouts in six games. The Phils acquired him from the Baltimore Orioles to platoon on left field with Marsh, and so far in his 16 games with the NL East leaders, he's hit a mediocre .254 (15-for-59) with a homer, four doubles and five RBI in 61 plate appearances.

The Philadelphia Phillies reinstated outfielder Austin Hays (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and optioned outfielder Cal Stevenson to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move. Hays will immediately step into the starting lineup on Friday against the Kansas City Royals and veteran right-hander Michael Wacha at Kauffman Stadium, playing left field and batting ninth. The 29-year-old required just two minor-league rehab games and will now return to regular duties in left field for the Phils. Hays was a first-time All-Star in 2023 with the Baltimore Orioles, but he got off to a slow start this year and was having trouble finding regular playing time in a crowded outfield. He'll have more fantasy upside the rest of the way in Philly and was hitting .263 (10-for-38) with a homer and four RBI in his first 10 games with the team before landing on the shelf.

The Philadelphia Phillies placed outfielder Austin Hays (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 8) with a left-hamstring strain on Friday and recalled outfielder Cal Stevenson from Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a corresponding move. Hays injured his leg on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers and will now miss the next 10 days. The 29-year-old right-handed hitter was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline to give the Phils a right-handed platoon bat in left field. Until he's able to return, Johan Rojas should draw into the lineup more in center field, with Brandon Marsh occupying left. In his first 10 games in Philadelphia, Hays had gone 10-for-38 (.263) with a home run, two doubles, four RBI, two steals and five runs in 39 plate appearances. The move to Philly was good news for his fantasy value in deeper leagues.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays (hamstring) is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's series opener in Arizona against the hosting Diamondbacks and left-hander Jordan Montgomery. It's not a surprise that Hays isn't playing in this one after he was forced to leave Wednesday night's win over the hosting Los Angeles Dodgers due to left-hamstring tightness. However, it's unclear if the 29-year-old's hammy injury is serious enough to eventually send him to the 10-day injured list. For now, consider him day-to-day and check back to see if he's available for Friday's contest in the desert. Weston Wilson is starting in left field on Thursday and is hitting eighth against Montgomery. Wilson provides very little DFS upside at the bottom of the batting order and will be playing in only his 23rd big-league game after debuting in 2023.

The Philadelphia Phillies are saying that outfielder Austin Hays (hamstring) left Wednesday night's game at Dodger Stadium early against the hosting Los Angeles Dodgers with left-hamstring tightness. Hays pulled up lame running the bases in the top of the third inning and was removed going into the bottom of the frame. Before departing, the 29-year-old former Baltimore Oriole went hitless in his only at-bat. Brandon Marsh moved from center field to left field, while Johan Rojas entered the contest to play center for the Phils. Since joining the Phillies at last week's trade deadline, Hays has gone 10-for-38 with a homer, four RBI and two stolen bases in the strong side of a platoon in left field. He'll likely be unavailable for Thursday's series opener against the hosting Arizona Diamondbacks and could require a trip to the IL, depending on the severity of his injury. If Hays needs at least 10 days off, Rojas would benefit from more playing time in the outfield.