PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes is looking forward to the 2025 season and is determined to return to his best form after a tough 2024 campaign.
Hayes struggled with back issues throughout last season, landing on the Injured List twice, including in mid-August, which sidelined him for the remainder of the year.
The back problems not only kept him off the field but also affected his performance. He finished with a career-low slash line of .233/.283/.290, along with nine doubles, four home runs, and 25 RBIs.
To address the issue, Hayes traveled to Los Angeles to meet Dr. Robert Watkins IV, a leading orthopedic spine surgeon. Dr. Watkins developed the Backdoor App, a program that Hayes uses to manage his back problems.
Speaking to reporters at Pirate City in Bradenton, Florida, ahead of Spring Training, Hayes shared that while his back issues are chronic, he has worked hard to improve his health and feels much better than he did last season.
“For the most part, I’m pain-free,” Hayes said. “It’s not 100%. I’ll never feel exactly how I did before, but if I can keep it manageable, like I was toward the end of 2023, I’ll be in good shape. Day-to-day, I was feeling close to 100% then.
“It’s a chronic injury that won’t go away, but the key is managing it so that the symptoms are nearly nonexistent.
“This offseason, I focused on recovery—everything from my diet to other treatments—and that’s something I’ll continue to work on every day.”
Hayes had a strong 2023 season, earning a National League Gold Glove for his defense while posting a solid slash line of .271/.309/.453, along with 15 home runs, 61 RBIs, 31 doubles, and seven triples.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington recognized Hayes as one of the top third basemen in 2022 and 2023. He believes that if Hayes can return to that form in 2025, he will have a significant impact on the team.
“It’s important,” Cherington said. “You can look at the stats, or assess it in different ways. In 2022 and 2023, in our view, he was clearly one of the most valuable third basemen in the game.
“When you combine his defense, offense, and baserunning, he was unquestionably one of the top third basemen in both of those years. Last season was tough for him, but if we can get something closer to what we saw in ‘22 and ‘23, it will have a huge impact on the team.”
Pirates manager Derek Shelton witnessed Hayes push through his back issues last season, but emphasized that Hayes’ health is a top priority heading into 2025, given the talent he brings to the team.
Shelton also observed Hayes in the batting cage and was impressed by his swing, describing it as “unrestricted” and “free.” He believes this will help Hayes rotate better and generate more power with his hits.
“It’s extremely important,” Shelton said about getting Hayes back to full health. “The way he looks and how hard he’s worked is impressive. I’m sure he mentioned his offseason back and core program. That work started last year, especially after he was on the IL at the end of the season. I really appreciate how seriously he’s taken the issue, because without full rotation, it’s tough to perform.
“When Ke’ is healthy, we’ve seen what he can do on both sides of the ball. I’ve never hesitated to say he’s one of, if not the best, defenders in baseball. Offensively, when he’s been healthy, he can produce. Seeing him in camp and how his body looks, it’s really encouraging.”
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