Colorado Rockies: Kris Bryant again placed on the 10-day IL

PITTSBURGH — The Colorado Rockies have announced that, before Wednesday’s matinee against the Pittsburgh Pirates, they have placed outfielder Kris Bryant on the 10-day IL with a lower back strain. In a corresponding move, the Rockies have recalled starter Ryan Feltner from Triple-A Albuquerque. He will be the starting pitcher for the Rockies in Wednesday’s series finale.

Kris Bryant has been placed on the 10-day injured list by the Colorado Rockies

After being out for nearly a month, returning for just two games, and sitting out two more, Kris Bryant is on the injured list again with the same issue: a back injury.

Before Tuesday’s game with the Pirates, Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black said that Bryant was “going through some exercises.”

“He’s still not right so he’s going to continue (working) with the medical staff,” Black said.

Bryant only returned from the 10-day IL this past Saturday after he missed 21 games.

Bryant is in the first of a seven-year deal that is worth $182 million. Thus far on the season, he has played in just 17 games and he has hit .270/.342/.333 with an OPS+ of 86 and an rWAR of -0.2. In the meantime, Sam Hilliard has received the bulk of the playing time in left field and has hit just .160/.255/.296 with an OPS+ of 50. His rWAR is 0.3, though, since he has been the Rockies best defensive player with 5 DRS.

As for Feltner, on Tuesday, Black announced that Feltner would be the starter on Wednesday and he will have a high pitch count, as he will be available for “100 pitches or more.”

For Triple-A Albuquerque, he was their Opening Day starter and there, he has gone 4-1 with a 3.76 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League with a 1.174 WHIP. In his one spot start in the majors in 2022 in Philadelphia in April, he went five innings, allowing seven hits and four runs in the team’s 7-3 loss.

We will have more from PNC Park about the move, if and when news develops.