Austin Hays’ post-All-Star break struggles have mostly flown under the radar, but they’ve become a growing issue for the Reds. The outfielder, who’s been serving primarily as the designated hitter, has been one of Cincinnati’s least productive bats lately — raising legitimate questions about whether manager Terry Francona should consider dropping him from the cleanup spot in the batting order.
Hays has hit fourth in over 60 games this year, a role that was mapped out for him coming out of spring training. Francona repeatedly emphasized the importance of Hays hitting behind Elly De La Cruz to give the young star protection in the lineup. But with Hays mired in a prolonged slump, that plan has started to backfire.
While De La Cruz has also cooled off since the break, his struggles haven’t been as severe as Hays’. Even if the timing of their downturns is purely coincidental, it undermines the purpose of keeping Hays behind De La Cruz — especially when the Reds are getting little production from a player hitting around .200 in that crucial spot. Given Hays’ stronger numbers against left-handers, a more sensible approach might be for Francona to limit his cleanup appearances to games against southpaws.
Austin Hays’ slump is forcing Reds manager Terry Francona into an uncomfortable lineup change
Terry Francona has shown a tendency to stick with his lineup decisions, even when they’re not working — with Matt McLain being a prime example. McLain remained in the No. 2 spot for weeks before Francona finally moved him to the bottom of the order. If the same fate awaits Austin Hays, it may only be against right-handed pitching — but the Reds don’t have many clear replacements for the cleanup role.
Noelvi Marté stands out as a potential option. He’s hitting over .300 against righties this season, a surprising turnaround after a rough 2024 campaign. Still, beyond Marté, the Reds lack another legitimate power threat to bat behind Elly De La Cruz. That makes Hays, despite his struggles, arguably the best of limited options.
Hays started the season hot, batting .365 over his first 13 games and justifying Francona’s plan to hit him cleanup. But the early optimism has faded. While he dealt with injuries early in the year, his production has steadily declined, and his inconsistency has become a source of frustration for fans.
Meanwhile, top outfield prospect Hector Rodriguez has been thriving at Triple-A since his promotion. The 21-year-old is making a strong case for a call-up, which could come as soon as this month.
Signing Hays to a team-friendly contract in the offseason was a smart move by the Reds’ front office. He’s delivered some timely hits and played respectable defense, but he hasn’t been the steady cleanup presence the team envisioned. If he doesn’t rebound soon, Francona may have no choice but to shuffle the lineup again and try someone else behind De La Cruz.
