Kris Bryant’s current injury issue is worse than initially expected

Former National League MVP Kris Bryant’s current trip to the injured list will last longer than initially expected, according to MLB.com’s Colorado Rockies beat writer Thomas Harding.

What was initially hoped to be a short time on the IL has now turned into ‘no idea when he will be able to return.” Bryant got an MRI after his rib contusion wasn’t improving and it revealed an oblique injury as well.

Bryant went on the injured list 11 days ago, and is already eligible to make a return but obviously won’t be. His most recent injury is his seventh separate trip to the injured list since signing a seven-year, $182-million contract to play for the Rockies ahead of the 2022 season. Saturday’s contest against the Pirates will be the 248th game Bryant has missed out of the 394 games Colorado has played since the disaster signing of the former Chicago Cubs star. His injuries have been mostly foot and back injuries but his core is now an issue too.

Bryant thought this term on the IL would be a short one, but he wasn't getting better. He went for an MRI, and that was when the oblique injury was diagnosed.

— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) June 15, 2024

Bryant has played in 24 games this season and had just played his 10th game since returning from a previous IL stint before suffering the injuries after making a twisting catch where he bumped into the wall on June 2. Bryant is hitting .186 on the season with just four extra-base hits in 101 plate appearances. As a Rockie, the rare times Bryant has played he has slashed an awful .247/.331/.385 with 17 homers and 55 RBI in 146 games of action, primarily as an outfielder but this season as a planned first baseman.

Since joining the Rockies, Bryant has been sixth worst in MLB with a -1.1 fWAR among players with at least 600 plate appearances. Funny enough, the worst player in baseball during that timeframe according to the metric that’s still active is a Rockie who plays all the positions Bryant does—Elehuris Montero. The younger and worse should-be slugger has been worth a -2.5 fWAR since the start of 2022. The only position player to sign a larger free agent deal the same winter as Bryant was Corey Seager at 10 years for $325 million and he’s been worth 12.2 fWAR, 16th-best in baseball, and brought the Rangers World Series rings. All of that is to say, Bryant has played much due to injuries but when he has he’s been one of the worst players in baseball.

With youngster Jordan Beck already injured, Nolan Jones just returned from the injured list which will give the Rockies back a big bat and some depth at the positions Bryant plays.

The Rockies are now 24-45 and are in the middle of their longest homestand of the season.