Kris Bryant to the IL may be a blessing in disguise for everyone

Is anyone really surprised?

Colorado Rockies v Chicago Cubs
Colorado Rockies v Chicago Cubs / Michael Reaves/GettyImages

I would like to say I am disappointed by this news, but it can't be a surprise anymore, right? The Rockies highest paid player in franchise history just cannot stay healthy. After averaging over 141 games a season., in his time with the Cubs, Bryant has played just 122 games in his two season with the Rockies, leaving fans frustrated and already regretting the massive contract.

The Rockies placed Kris Bryant on the 10-day injured list after an awkward catch against the Blue Jays has had Bryant on the bench since the injury. The frustrating part about all of this is that the Rockies have no one to blame but themselves. Why was Kris Bryant in the outfield? The Rockies know that Bryant is becoming more fragile in his age 32 season, yet he spent half of his games played in 2024 playing right field. What happened to keeping him at first base to stay healthy like they talked about in the offseason? This is just a mishandling of the situation. You have guys like Charlie Blackmon, Michael Toglia and even Jake Cave to play right field; don't put someone that has proven they can't stay healthy in the outfield, out there to just get hurt again. Bryant should be spending all of his time at first base or DH.

While this is all so frustrating for Rockies fans and I am sure the players, this may be a blessing in disguise. Now I am not saying that it is good that Bryant got hurt; I am not that insensitive to what a baseball player has to go through. But it was obvious that Bryant's back was bothering him, and it looked like it was before that injury even took place. Bud Black held Bryant out of a game against the Rays due to back stiffness and the former MVP has dealt with lingering back issues in the past. This will give Bryant a chance to get some rest, hopefully get some treatment and come back rested and ready to go, even if it takes longer than the 10 days, which it seems to always take longer with Bryant.

The other benefit of this, might be the fact that it gives Bryant some time to step away and clear his head. The slugger has been terrible this year and while he started to look a little more comfortable at the plate in the Toronto series, he still just didn't look like his former self. He had a strikeout rate well over 32%, a wRC+ of 42, and was hitting just .149 with one home run. Hopefully Bryant can get healthier mentally and physically with this break, and Sean Bouchard, Michael Toglia and Jake Cave can ignite this offense after their recent struggles.

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