Colorado Rockies Place Former MVP Kris Bryant on Injured List With Lower Back Strain

Kris Bryant crashed into the wall during the Colorado Rockies' loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, and now the veteran slugger is hitting the 10-day IL.

Apr 7, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies designated hitter Kris Bryant (23) in the first inning. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies have placed Kris Bryant on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 14, the club announced Wednesday.

Bryant left the Rockies' game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday after running into the right field wall in the first inning. The veteran made the play and remained in the game until the fourth, when his back tightened up and Michael Toglia came in to replace him.

After missing the Rockies' next three contests, Bryant was officially shelved with a lower back strain.

Colorado has recalled outfielder Sean Bouchard from Triple-A Albuquerque to round out the 26-man roster in Bryant's absence.

The Rockies announced today that they have recalled OF Sean Bouchard from Triple-A Albuquerque and have placed INF/OF Kris Bryant on the 10-day IL (retroactive to April 14) with a low back strain.

— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) April 17, 2024

Bryant had been splitting time between first base, right field and designated hitter through the first few weeks of the MLB regular season. He appeared in 13 of the Rockies' first 15 games, which seemed to be a promising sign, considering how much time he had missed since arriving in Colorado.

The Rockies signed Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million contract ahead of the 2022 season. Although he would hit .306 with an .851 OPS that year, he only appeared in 42 games.

Bryant logged just 80 appearances in 2023. By the time he will be eligible to return from the injured list on April 24, he will have appeared in just 38.8% of Colorado's games since he joined the team.

Bryant's production has taken a nosedive as well, starting with his .233 batting average, .680 OPS and -1.0 WAR in 2023. Through the first few weeks of 2024, Bryant was batting .149 with a .528 OPS and -0.3 WAR.

It's been quite the fall from grace for Bryant, who was once one of baseball's brightest young stars with the Chicago Cubs. He made four All-Star teams between 2015 and 2021, winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2015, NL MVP in 2016 and the World Series in 2016.

During his time in Chicago, Bryant was a .279 hitter with an .886 OPS, averaging 27 home runs, 79 RBI and a 4.7 WAR each year.

Now, the 32-year-old slugger has proven to be less valuable than a replacement-level player. Once his backs heals up, he will be given yet another chance to turn that around.

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