Kris Bryant Out of Colorado Rockies' Lineup Against Cincinnati Reds on Monday

Colorado Rockies first baseman Kris Bryant is once again dealing with a back injury, knocking the former NL MVP out of the lineup for Monday's game versus the Cincinnati Reds.

May 23, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Colorado Rockies first baseman Kris Bryant (23) after the tenth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Kris Bryant is not in the Colorado Rockies' lineup for their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

Backup catcher Jacob Stallings will take Bryant's spot at designated hitter, while Elehuris Montero will slot in at first base.

Manager Bud Black told reporters, including MLB.com's Thomas Harding, that Bryant was "a little sore" after making a twisting catch against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday. Bryant, who is dealing with lower back soreness, is set to consult with doctors and trainers on an official diagnosis and next steps.

Bryant was out from April 14 to May 20, spending over a month on the injured list with a lower back strain.

Before his back injury, Bryant was batting .149 with one home runs, six RBI, a .528 OPS and a -0.3 WAR through 13 games. In his 11 appearances since returning to the lineup, Bryant is batting .231 with one home runs, four RBI, a .656 OPS and a -0.2 WAR.

While it remains to be seen if Bryant's latest ailment will lead to another stint on the injured list, it certainly wouldn't be out of character for him to miss even more time.

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. Since joining the Rockies, he has appeared in just 38.1% 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. On the whole in 2024, Bryant is batting .186 with a .586 OPS and -0.5 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. The third baseman 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.

The Rockies simply didn't get that version of Bryant, who is now a positionless, 32-year-old slugger who can't stay on the field.

Here is Colorado's lineup for Monday night's home game against the Reds:

1. Ezequiel Tovar, SS
2. Brendan Rodgers, 2B
3. Elias Díaz, C
4. Elehuris Montero, 1B
5. Brenton Doyle, CF
6. Jacob Stallings, DH
7. Sean Bouchard, LF
8. Hunter Goodman, RF
9. Alan Trejo, 3B
SP: Ryan Feltner, RHP

First pitch from Coors Field is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. ET.

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