CINCINNATI -- A key part of the Reds' offense has reached a big milestone in his bid to return to action. Left fielder Austin Hays began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Friday, going 0-for-2 with a third-inning sacrifice fly in the Bats' 6-3 loss to Indianapolis.
Hays has been out since the last day of Spring Training with a left calf strain, and he opened the regular season on the 10-day injured list. He went to work out and take batting practice with High-A Dayton on Wednesday.
"He was going to play last night, but [the game was rained out]," Reds manager Terry Francona said. "They did have BP and everything, so he took balls, ran the bases and he threw to bases. So that was at least good."
As Louisville hosts Indianapolis through the weekend, including a doubleheader on Saturday, Hays is slated to play in three of the four scheduled games.
¡°He¡¯ll play five to seven [innings in left field on Friday]," Francona said. "He will DH for nine [Saturday] and play the outfield on Sunday."
Hays, 29, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Reds on Jan. 29. During Spring Training, he was one of Cincinnati's more productive hitters as he batted .310 with a 1.060 OPS, three home runs and 14 RBIs in 16 games.