May 13, 2024 3:46 PM : The Orioles reinstated Hays (calf) from the 10-day injured list Monday.
Analysis: He'll be available off the bench for Monday's series opener versus the Blue Jays as the Orioles go with Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander as their starters in the outfield from left to right. Prior to landing on the shelf April 22 due to a tight calf, Hays had gotten off to a miserable start to the season, slashing .111/.200/.111 across 50 plate appearances. He showed more signs of life during his five-game rehab stint with Double-A Bowie (5-for-14 with two home runs, one double and three walks), but Hays may still have to settle for a fourth-outfielder role initially upon rejoining the big club. Hays should, however, play regularly against left-handed pitching, and he could re-emerge as an option to steal work against right-handed pitching from Cowser and Mullins, both of whom have struggled of late. Cowser is in the midst of a 7-for-50 stretch at the plate over his last 16 games, while Mullins has gone 5-for-50 over the same span and was actually benched against a pair of right-handed starters during this past weekend's series with the Diamondbacks.