Heartbreaking Kris Bryant saga seems destined to continue - at least for now

Awash in the glow of countless individual accolades and accomplishments, not to mention bringing a World Series title to Wrigley Field, it felt like Kris Bryant was on a Cooperstown trajectory early on in his Chicago Cubs career.

But in the years that followed, chinks in the armor surfaced as he battled numerous injuries. Still, Bryant was a solidly above-average player, amassing north of 16.0 bWAR from 2017-2021, even with the shortened 60-game 2020 season. But since signing a record-setting seven-year, $182 million deal with the Colorado Rockies, it's been nothing but disappointment for everyone involved.

The latest development, another IL stint - this time for lumbar degenerative disc disease - raised speculation that the four-time All-Star and former first-round pick could retire, despite being just 33 years old. However, Bryant remains focused on exploring every possible avenue to prolong his career and try to regain at least a portion of his former self.

Kris Bryant has no plans to retire, despite his serious back issues

"I want to be on the field. I want to play the game," he told reporters. "I want to talk to doctors, see if there's anything else we can do. But I'm not gonna give up."

Bryant has appeared in only 170 games in four years with the Rockies and even when on the field, he's been a liability both in the field and at the plate. The symptoms stemming from his degenerative back condition have created wild fluctuations in how he feels from at-bat to at-bat, even forcing him to intentionally shorten ABs due to pain he's feeling.

"I get through two at-bats and then I get to the third at-bat and I'm like, 'Oh, this isn't good.' And then the fourth at-bat, I'm like, 'I just got to get this at-bat over within the first couple of swings.' And that's not a great spot to be. I'm not doing myself or the team any good service if I don't speak up. Then the next day you get up and it's like, 'I can't move.'"

Bryant says he isn't at the point where surgery is on the table - but it's hard to see this going any other way given his lengthy track record with back issues. If you're the Rockies, you can't look at the $81 million remaining on his contract as anything other than a sunk cost. But for Cubs fans, in particular, it's really heartbreaking to watch this play out.

KB was (and still is) a beloved member of the most incredible team most of us have or will ever see.. On-field production aside, watching him suffer like this is brutal, and we can only hope there's a path through this that leads to better days ahead for him.