Rehabbing Hayes plates seven runs

Brett Hayes' rehab stint with Class A Advanced Jupiter got a shot in the arm Wednesday and it didn't have anything to do with his injured left wrist.

The Marlins backstop blasted a grand slam, his second home run of the night, in a 10-run eighth inning as the Hammerheads went on to beat Daytona, 18-4. In what could turn out to be his final game before returning to Florida, Hayes plated seven runs on two longballs.

Hayes, who played with Jupiter briefly in 2007, was injured July 20 when two foul tips ricocheted off of his wrist in a 10-0 loss to the Rockies. Wednesday marked the end of his stint on the 15-day disabled list. So when will Hayes return to the Marlins?

"Possibly tomorrow," he said. "I don't know.

"The wrist feels great," Hayes added. "I took a few balls off the wrist a couple weeks ago. There was concern there would be some damage, but the X-rays were negative."

Considering that Hayes had never had more than four RBIs in a game at any professional level before Wednesday, his wrist appears to have healed nicely.

After doubling in the fifth inning, the first home run of his seven-game rehab stint came in the sixth. The two-run shot plated Jake Smolinski and Tom Hickman to give the Hammerheads a 7-2 lead.

"Here at Roger Dean Stadium, this stadium is so big you never know if it's gone," Hayes said. "It was a slider and I knew I hit it well."

Javier Guzman followed with another homer for Jupiter to cap the six-run frame.

But that was just the appetizer.

In the eighth, the Hammerheads posted 10 runs on eight hits including Hayes' grand slam, a triple by Kevin Mattison and doubles by Daniel Pertusati and Paul Gran.

"(Cubs reliever Mark Reed) was throwing knuckleballs up there," Hayes said. "I have to say I got lucky on that one, but a home run is a home run, I guess.

"I don't think I've ever gotten a hit off a knuckleball," he added.

Hayes enjoyed playing for Jupiter manager and former Major League catcher Ron Hassey.

"Ron Hassey is one heck of a manager," Hayes said. "He has a lot of composure. You trust him."

Hassey, who began his coaching career with the expansion Rockies in 1993, is in his first year with the Hammerheads. He caught Len Barker's perfect game with the Cleveland Indians in 1981 and Dennis Martinez's perfecto 10 years later with the Montreal Expos.

"Being the only catcher to catch two perfect games, that says something right there," Hayes said. "It's been an honor. When a guy does stuff like that, that's an achievement and something that should be recognized."

Hayes, a second-round pick in 2005, was hitting .219 with a home run and two RBIs over 13 games for Florida at the time of his injury.

Guzman finished with three RBIs and Jeremy Synan fell a triple short of the cycle for Jupiter (37-69).