High-priced Kris Bryant is hurt again, will try to battle through it
Jul 26, 2022, 10:55 PM
Kris Bryant has spent more of his first season with the Colorado Rockies injured than on the field.
Bryant missed 55 games earlier this season with an injured back, forcing the star to the Injured List twice. Bryant was initially hurt in April when the team complained about poor sleeping arrangements. A month ago, Bryant returned from the back injury and has been great since.
The four-time All-Star is slashing .325/.388/.597 over his last 19 games, including five homers and 10 RBI. But Bryant was held out of Monday’s Rockies game in Milwaukee with a day-to-day injury. And the usual left fielder DH’d on Tuesday for the third time in five games.
After the game, Bryant shared with reporters that he has plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
“Any time my foot hits the ground, mostly when I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night or in the morning,” Bryant explained how his injury hurts him.
He went on to say that he hopes to be able to manage his foot pain with inserts, treatment and icing.
The Rockies are 18-19 in games Bryant plays this season, as the team fell to 44-54 with Tuesday’s loss.
Bryant was signed to a seven-year, 182 million deal this winter. Coming over after seven seasons in Chicago and a half year with the Giants. The former NL MVP has hit 172 home runs in his career and drove in 501 runs.
According to MLB.com plantar fasciitis is this:
The plantar fascia is a thick, web-like band of ligament that runs along the sole of the foot, from the bottom of the heel to the base of the toes. It keeps the arch of the foot from flattening completely when the foot is bearing weight, thus providing cushioning and shock absorption. The plantar fascia also allows you to point your toes.
When the plantar fascia becomes inflamed, a baseball player will feel pain in the bottom of the foot, most notably in the heel. Plantar fasciitis, which is the inflammation or thickening of the tissue, is most often caused by repetitive over-stretching of the plantar fascia, which can occur during running.
Surgery may be needed to relieve the tension caused inflamed ligament. But the recovery time takes three to four months so many players just keep going through the pain. The injury can heal itself, but it requires rest, something Bryant will not be doing until October. It’s entirely possible the Rockies put Bryant on the Injured List again or shut him down. But for now he’ll play through the pain.
***
