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Chicago Cubs News: Kris Bryant day-to-day with oblique injury

By Alfonso Cerna |
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

A frustrating season just got worse for Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant.

Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant left Monday’s game against the Pirates after suffering right oblique tightness. Bryant has been listed as day-to-day with no timetable for a return. After the game, manager David Ross explained Bryant was a bit emotional, as the injury adds to what has already been a tough season for the former National League Rookie of the Year and MVP.
“It’s a frustrating situation for him,” Ross said. “I know he wants to be out there and play. Hopefully we get some good news, but we’ll see how it goes tomorrow [Tuesday]. I’m trying to hold out hope.

Obliques are a tricky injury, as just a few days ago we learned right-hander Rowan Wick will miss the remainder of the season with a left-oblique strain.

Bryant injured himself on a swing in his first at-bat of the game. After being checked out by Ross and the team trainer he initially stayed in, but was replaced an inning later by David Bote.

The injuries have piled up for KB over the past few seasons and have carried over into his 2020 campaign. Bryant has missed 24 games this season with multiple nagging injuries including a wrist and finger sprain, elbow contusion and a gastrointestinal issue.

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When he has played the production has not been what it needs to be at the plate. He’s hitting just .195/.283/.301 with only two home runs and five RBI.

Maybe the injuries are the cause of his struggles, but I think the biggest reason is the pressure Bryant is putting on himself.

I say that due in part to the comments Bryant made on a podcast earlier this summer hosted by his teammate Ian Happ.

“We play the game because it’s fun, but at the end of the day this is a job,” Bryant told Happ and his co-hosts on The Compound podcast. “And there’s money involved and…we need to win games. So I’m sitting there at home talking to my wife about expectations and stuff and I feel like the worst player in the world sometimes.”

With all the rumors surrounding Bryant and his free agency after next season, there is no doubt the third baseman would want to play to the level that demands the type of contract his agent Scott Boras will be looking for.

All of a sudden he is struggling worse than he ever has in his career so it doesn’t look like he will be seeing that type of money not just from the Cubs, but any team in the league. I find it hard to believe that same thought isn’t sitting in the back of Bryant’s head at the moment.

Bryant is 28 years old in his sixth year in the big leagues. It is easy to forget young athletes think differently with social media these days. The constant reminders of struggles can take their toll mentally off the field if not handled correctly.

For the media and fans, some forget everything Bryant has done for this franchise because of his recent lack of production. I’d be hard-pressed to believe the fans who are demanding Bryant be traded were saying the same thing when he came through in clutch moments during the 2016 season.

I think that is what Bryant has to remind himself—he can come through now with the pressure on. Being the hope of a franchise that has not won a championship in 108 years, and delivering in multiple moments to fulfill that promise is more than enough reason to believe he can get back to that high-level of play everyone expects.

Next. Time to shine for Jose Martinez. dark

As of now Cubs (32-22) are in first place with a 4 1/2 game lead with six games remaining. They have gotten to this point without any production from Bryant, but there is no-doubt this team is better when he is in the lineup and hitting like a former MVP.

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