{"id":35929,"date":"2026-08-10T06:02:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T01:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=35929"},"modified":"2026-08-10T06:02:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T01:02:56","slug":"austin-hays-signs-with-padres","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=35929","title":{"rendered":"Austin Hays signs with Padres"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>SAN DIEGO &#8212; The Trade Deadline has come and gone, but the Padres still found a way to address an area of need on their roster, signing right-handed-hitting outfielder <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/player\/669720\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"tag\">Austin Hays<\/a> to a Major League deal on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>Hays was activated before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/gameday\/823268\/final\/box\" target=\"_blank\">Sunday\u2019s series finale<\/a> against the Astros at Petco Park. The Padres optioned newly acquired utilityman Gage Workman to Triple-A El Paso in a corresponding move.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>In 12 games with the White Sox this season, the 31-year-old Hays was hitting .233 with a .576 OPS. He spent most of the year rehabbing multiple leg injuries, before he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/glossary\/transactions\/designate-for-assignment\" target=\"_blank\">designated for assignment<\/a> &#8212; and eventually released &#8212; by the White Sox last week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>For his entire career, Hays has mashed against left-handed pitching, with a career .816 OPS. The Padres, meanwhile, have combined for a team .668 OPS against southpaws. Hays seems like an obvious upgrade for their bench, and he could start occasionally in left field.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>\u201cIf I get starts, I get starts; if I\u2019ve got to come in off the bench and face some nasty lefties, I\u2019m ready for that,\u201d Hays said. \u201cWhatever they need me for, I\u2019m ready for.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>Hays has reached the postseason in each of the past three seasons &#8212; with three different clubs (the Orioles in 2023, the Phillies in \u201924 and the Reds in \u201925).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>\u201cTrying to keep that streak alive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>That\u2019s all part of the Padres\u2019 calculus. Hays is a veteran with postseason experience. He was an All-Star with the Orioles in 2023. But more recently, he\u2019s found a niche as a platoon piece.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a good right-handed bench bat,\u201d said manager Craig Stammen. \u201cHe\u2019ll be able to play the outfield really well, one of those guys that, in his career, has hit lefty pitching really well. So he\u2019s somebody that we can bring in to pinch-hit against a tough lefty, or someone that we can start against a lefty.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>It\u2019s been an awkward season for Hays, who has spent the majority of the year on the injured list while rehabbing hamstring and calf injuries. Hays recently completed his rehab from that calf injury, but the White Sox &#8212; after a handful of moves at the Deadline &#8212; didn\u2019t have a place for him on their active roster.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, the team kind of found their way without me, while I was hurt,\u201d Hays said. \u201cI don\u2019t get to see it through until the end &#8212; that\u2019s probably the hardest part. \u2026 But that\u2019s just how this game goes sometimes; it doesn\u2019t wait for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>It didn\u2019t take long for Hays to find a landing spot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re in August, there\u2019s a lot of meaningful baseball to be played,\u201d Hays said. \u201cI left one contender and came over here to a really good ballclub that\u2019s built to win and built to go all the way to the finish line.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m really thankful that I\u2019m getting the opportunity to join a team like that. My legs are feeling good. I\u2019m feeling healthy at the right time. I was swinging it really good on my rehab assignment. So I\u2019m confident, healthy and ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>In 20 games with Triple-A Charlotte during his rehab, Hays posted a .779 OPS with six homers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>Clearly, general manager A.J. Preller has envisioned Hays as a fit for a long time. Hays revealed on Sunday that he\u2019d been in talks to sign with the Padres on multiple occasions. He even recalled being scouted by Preller leading up to the 2016 Draft. (Hays was selected in the third round of that Draft by Baltimore.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>\u201cI have some history with him,\u201d Hays said. \u201cI was like, \u2018Hey, it\u2019s meant to be.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>The specific fit is a clean one. Against left-handers, the Padres have been using some combination of Jase Bowen and Luis Rengifo in left field. Bowen is an outstanding defender, but doesn\u2019t bring much with the bat. Rengifo has been excellent at the plate since his arrival &#8212; but isn\u2019t much of a left fielder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>Hays seems to give the Padres what they\u2019re looking for. He can hit left-handed pitching and play a solid left field. That leaves Rengifo to DH against lefties and Bowen as a speed-and-defense bench option primarily.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>Things might get a bit more complicated when Miguel Andujar (right wrist fracture) and Samad Taylor (right oblique strain) come off the IL. But neither is particularly close. That\u2019s a problem for another day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Styles__MarkdownContainer-dxqlie-0 iMsGag\">\n<p>In the meantime, the Padres found a way to improve their roster after the Deadline, which isn\u2019t always easy to do.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SAN DIEGO &#8212; The Trade Deadline has come and gone, but the Padres still found a way to address an area of need on their roster, signing right-handed-hitting outfielder Austin Hays to a Major League deal on Sunday. Hays was activated before Sunday\u2019s series finale against the Astros at Petco Park. The Padres optioned newly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35930,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img.mlbstatic.com\/mlb-images\/image\/upload\/t_2x1\/t_w1536\/mlb\/puqzu53o68bdc1dhxmso.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-trending-viral-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=35929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/35930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=35929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=35929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=35929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}