Healthy Austin Hays returns to Philadelphia after ‘really hard’ stint with Phillies

PHILADELPHIA — Some of Austin Hays’ Reds teammates welcomed him back to Philadelphia as the outfielder entered the visitors’ clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park on Friday morning. He ran into some old friends on the way there in Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh and Phillies infield coach Bobby Dickerson.

A Phillie for the second half of last season, Hays returned to Philly for the first time since his brief tenure with the team, ready start a three-game series in the birthplace of the United States on Independence Day.

“I really enjoyed the clubhouse over there,” Hays said. “It’s a good group of guys. It’s good to see some of them on the way in.”

The Phillies acquired Hays from the Orioles last July in exchange for reliever Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache. While he was expected to play left field and provide a bit of a boost to the lineup with his right-handed bat, his stint was defined by poor health.

Hays strained his left hamstring in August, then he was diagnosed with a kidney infection in September. The infection zapped his energy. It cost him most of that last month of the regular season. He did not resemble the All-Star he was in 2023 or even the capable player he was in the first half of 2024.

“Just really hard,” Hays said. “I wasn’t healthy. Got traded over here. I was really excited for the opportunity. It just didn’t work out, unfortunately.”

In 22 games with the Phillies, Hays slashed .256/.275/.397 with two home runs, five doubles and zero walks. He went hitless in four postseason at-bats. With the season on the line against a left-handed starter in Jose Quintana in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, Phillies manager Rob Thomson played Weston Wilson over Hays as the team was eliminated by the Mets.

“It was really unfortunate when he got sick there,” Thomson said. “He had the injury, but he also got sick. It was unfortunate because we thought that he was really going to help us, and it was just unfortunate. It really was. It just didn’t happen.”

The Phillies non-tendered Hays after the season. He said they did not contact him much about the idea of coming back on a new contract.

“There was a phone call, but that was about it,” Hays said.

Thomson said the Phillies did have some level of interest, but he admitted that the organization was skeptical of the 29-year-old’s ability to rebound from such a difficult, taxing season. Hays ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Reds.

“I think there was,” Thomson said, “but we weren’t really sure if he was going to come back to the way he was. And he did, and Cincinnati did a nice job. They took a shot. He’s played well.”

Entering Friday, Hays has batted .284/.322/.539 with seven home runs, four triples and seven doubles in 37 games with the Reds. He has a 1.179 OPS against lefties. He feels at home with a 45-42 Cincinnati club that is currently in NL Wild Card contention.

“I feel like I made the right decision,” Hays said. “It was the first time in my career where I actually got to pick where I wanted to play. I had some different choices. It’s a really good feeling knowing when you come to the field every day that I made the right decision with where I’m at.”

The former Phillie has performed much better in 2025, while Philadelphia still appears to be in need of a right-handed-hitting outfielder. The team’s regular left fielder, Max Kepler, is a lefty and has had lackluster results after signing before the season.

However, that doesn’t mean bringing back Hays would have solved everything in left for the Phillies. He’s had three stays on the injured list already this year. He returned from his most recent one a week ago, setting him up to be in the lineup batting cleanup against left-hander Jesús Luzardo on Friday.

“I’m sure it’ll be electric out there,” Hays said. “It’s the Fourth of July in Philly. It’s going be an exciting atmosphere out there. It always is.”

Even though Hays has been hurt a few times, that’s a lot different than dealing with non-baseball health issues. He’s relieved to not have to worry about the kidney infection at this point, and he can tell he’s in a much better place now.

“I just look at my face in the mirror and I can tell that I look healthy,” Hays said. “It’s a good feeling.”